Department for Transport

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timeframe is for the publication on the High Speed Two website of statistics on applications received for the High Speed Two (a) phase one and (b) phase two (i) Exceptional Hardship Scheme and (ii) Need to Sell Scheme up to 30 November 2018.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: This information was placed on the HS2 website on 09/01/19 and can be viewed here:https://www.hs2.org.uk/documents/collections/hs2-exceptional-hardship-scheme-hs2-need-sell-scheme-applications-statistics/

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Crewe Station

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the comments by Pete Waterman, Chairman of the Cheshire and Warrington Local Transport Board on 31 December 2018, whether he plans to increase the number of High Speed Two trains stopping at Crewe station to seven an hour; and if he will make a statement.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Crewe Hub consultation response, published in March 2018, confirmed the Government’s support for the vision of a Crewe Hub. Fully realising the Crewe Hub vision will also require a junction north of Crewe back to the HS2 mainline to Manchester, as part of Phase 2b. As set out in the March 2018 Consultation Response, this would allow 5-7 HS2 trains per hour to call at Crewe.

Railways: Cheshire

Antoinette Sandbach: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the statement by Pete Waterman, Chairman of the Cheshire and Warrington Local Transport Board published on 31 December 2018, what plans he has for the tunnel and junction at Crewe North and the Golborne Link near Warrington, and if he will make a statement.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The HS2 Phase 2b route was confirmed in the July 2017 Command Paper, ‘High Speed Two: from Crewe to Manchester, West Midlands to Leeds and beyond’, including a tunnel at Crewe and the Golborne link at Warrington. Any junction north of Crewe back to the HS2 mainline to Manchester will be considered separately as part of Crewe Hub decision making.

South Eastern Rail Franchise

Sir David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to ensure that there are no additional delays to the announcement of the new operator of the South Eastern franchise.

Andrew Jones: The Departments officials will deliver an outcome for the competition that maximises the value for money for the taxpayer and passengers as quickly as possible, taking into account the need to ensure a robust franchise procurement process.

Dartford-Thurrock Crossing: Tolls

Sir David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much was paid in tolls  for travelling over the Dartford Crossing in each of the last five years.

Jesse Norman: The value of road user charges received in the last five years for which data is available is as follows: Financial YearAccounts (£000)Non-Accounts (£000)2012 – 201327,22352,7572013 – 201432,74859,426Apr 2014 – Nov 201422,07742,221Nov 2014 – 201522,9109,3762015 – 201676,66531,3182016 – 201783,67128,130 Please note that the figures for 2014/15 are presented in two segments because of the change that year from payment at barriers to the Dart Charge Free Flow Scheme. This information is also available in the accounts published annually by Highways England and available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/highways-agency-annual-reports-and-accounts

Buses: Exhaust Emissions

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's news story entitled Government funding boost for bus industry in drive to improve air quality, published in February 2018, how many buses have been retrofitted using funding from the Clean Bus Technology Fund in from February 2018 to date.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: In February 2018, the Clean Bus Technology Fund awarded £40 million of funding to 20 local authorities to retrofit 2768 buses to a minimum Euro VI standard. To date, 467 buses have been retrofitted using this funding.

Railways: Pay

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what meetings he has had with train operating companies and Network Rail to discuss the transfer of the link between rail pay settlements from the retail prices index to the consumer prices index; and if he will publish the minutes and agreed outcomes of those meetings.

Andrew Jones: The Secretary of State for Transport has regular meetings with the rail industry where a wide range of issues, including workforce questions, are discussed. Minutes of Ministerial meetings are not routinely published in order to ensure participants can exchange views in confidence and with trust, as well as to protect commercially sensitive information. There are no plans to publish the minutes of these meetings.

A12

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to progress the A12 Widening Scheme between Chelmsford and Marks Tey.

Jesse Norman: The Department for Transport and Highways England have been considering how best to take forward the A12 scheme, in the light of concerns raised by the Planning Inspector in June 2018 regarding the proposed Garden Community at Marks Tey and its interaction with the A12 scheme.Highways England have been working closely with Essex County Council and the North Essex authorities to find the best approach to delivering the A12 scheme that takes account of wider growth in the region and achieves value for money. It is important that the Department find a way to take forward this important transport scheme while also supporting the Government’s objectives to improve the supply of housing where it is needed most.

A12

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of widening the A12 north of Marks Tey.

Jesse Norman: As part of the current Road Investment Strategy, Highways England are developing a scheme to widen the A12 between Junctions 25 and 29. This will be considered against other strategic road priorities in the area as the Department make investment decisions. The Government expects to publish the second Road Investment Strategy in late 2019.

Govia Thameslink Railway: Tickets

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2017 to Questions 8307 and 8498, by what date part-time season tickets for part-time workers will be introduced on the Govia Thameslink Railway franchise; and what the reasons are for the time taken to implement such tickets.

Andrew Jones: Officials continue to work with Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) on implementing part time season tickets. The required enhancements to GTR’s KeyGo smart ticketing product are now complete and discussions continue regarding undertaking a trial.

Seaborne Freight

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department (a) agreed and (b) made any payments to Seaborne Freight between 30 December 2018 and 29 March 2019.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: I refer the hon Member to my Rt Hon Friend's Written Statement of 7 January. Payments for services will not be made until the services are provided.

Seaborne Freight

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to cancel his Department's contract with Seaborne Freight given that the terms of the contract specify a delivery date of 29 March 2019.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: There are no plans to cancel the Seaborne Freight contract. Seaborne Freight need to meet a series of contractual milestones. No money will be paid to the company for provision of ferry services unless those services are provided.

Seaborne Freight

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether (a) he and (b) advisers in his Department have held meetings with any of the Seaborne Freight’s company directors since 2016.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: I refer the hon. Member to the Answer I gave to PQ UIN 205983.

Channel Ferries: Freight

Andy McDonald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has been made of the volume of freight ferry traffic that would move from the Channel ports to (a) Purfleet, (b) Tilbury (c) Harwich and (d) Humber in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Chris Grayling: In the event of constriction of capacity on the short Strait in a no-deal scenario, traffic would be expected to switch in varying proportions to a range of Channel and North Sea ports including those mentioned. The Department has made no specific estimates.

Volkswagen: Exhaust Emissions

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that legal action is pursued against Volkswagen executives regarding that company's emissions scandal.

Jesse Norman: Volkswagen's behaviour in installing defeat devices in its vehicles has been entirely unacceptable. Taking criminal action against Volkswagen is complex given that in legal terms the wrongdoing appears to have taken place outside the UK. It is for the German Government in the first instance to prosecute. For this reason, it would be inappropriate to carry out a separate parallel UK criminal investigation. The Department reserves the option to do so, however, based on the evidence from any German prosecution.

Transport: Leeds

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's news story, Government confirms £173.5 million funding to improve transport in Leeds, published on 21 April 2017, whether that funding can be spent beyond April 2021 on a specific transport project that has already commenced.

Jesse Norman: The funding provided to improve public transport in Leeds is available until April 2021.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Brexit

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many non-disclosure agreements his Department has signed with (a) companies and (b) trade associations advising the Government on preparations for contingency planning for the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Richard Harrington: The Department does not hold this information centrally and is not aware of any such agreements having been signed with stakeholders in relation to preparations for the UK leaving the EU.

Electric Vehicles

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has (a) convened and (b) any plans to convene a Cabinet sub-committee on supporting the development and take up of electric vehicles.

Richard Harrington: There are no plans to convene a Cabinet sub-committee on supporting the development and uptake of electric vehicles. The Economic and Industrial Strategy (Economic Affairs) sub-Committee is the relevant committee for securing cross-Government agreement on electric vehicle strategy and policy. In 2018 the sub-Committee agreed to the Government’s Road to Zero strategy on the transition to zero emission vehicles. The measures outlined in the Strategy amount to nearly £1.5 billion of investment and represent one of the world’s most comprehensive packages of support for zero-emission vehicles. Since 2011, the Government has supported the purchase of over 170,000 ultra low emission vehicles.

Electric Vehicles

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the transition to electric vehicles in local communities.

Richard Harrington: Ministers have regular discussions with their counterparts in the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Cities and local authorities have a crucial role to play during the transition to zero emission vehicles and addressing local air quality issues – which is why we are providing £20m of support for local authorities to deliver Ultra Low Emission taxi charging Infrastructure; £48m for Ultra-Low Emission Buses and infrastructure; and £40m to establish Go Ultra Low cities in becoming global exemplars of ultra low emission vehicle uptake. The UK now has over 15,500 public chargepoints. More than 1,500 are rapid devices, one of the largest networks in Europe. We are working with MHCLG to further support the take up of electric vehicles in local communities.

Electric Vehicles: Finance

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what grants the Government has made available for supporting the transition to electric vehicles; and what the take up of those grants has been to date.

Richard Harrington: The measures outlined in the Road to Zero Strategy amount to nearly £1.5 billion of investment and represent one of the world’s most comprehensive packages of support for zero-emission vehicles. This includes grants for plug in vehicles and schemes to support chargepoint infrastructure. Since 2011, the Government has provided £700 million funding for plug-in vehicle grants which have supported the purchase of over 170,000 vehicles. More than 2,000 organisations have applied for the Workplace Charging Scheme; 28 local authorities have applied for funding under the On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme; and almost 60,000 domestic chargers have been installed under the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy: Brexit

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much money his Department has allocated for preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a deal to date; how much of that funding has been made by way of ministerial direction; and for what functions that funding has been allocated.

Richard Harrington: This information is available publicly online and can be found at:https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2018-03-13/HCWS540/https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2018-12-18/HCWS1205/https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-exit-preparations-beis-ministerial-direction.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Turkey: Syria

Maria Caulfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Turkish counterpart  on preventing the planned (a) invasion of Rojava and (b) attacks against the Kurds in northern Syria.

Sir Alan Duncan: I have had a number of recent conversations with my Turkish counterparts over the conflict in Syria, as have my ministerial colleagues and the Prime Minister. While we recognise Turkey's security interests, we are closely monitoring the situation in North East Syria and are concerned about the humanitarian impact of a potential Turkish military operation, as well as the impact on the campaign against Daesh.Our priority is to end the conflict in Syria through a negotiated political settlement: we believe only an inclusive, non-sectarian government can unite the country and protect the rights of all Syrians.

Human Rights

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the safety and security of human rights defenders throughout the world.

Mark Field: ​Regrettably human rights defenders remain under attack in many parts of the world. In 2018 over 300 defenders were killed and thousands more imprisoned, attacked or tortured around the world. This is why, at the high-level meeting on human rights defenders at the UN on 18 December, we called on governments to allow human rights defenders to fight for human rights; allow civil society the space to engage with and, where needed, challenge governments without fear or reprisal; and to create an environment where democracy can flourish. In November we co-sponsored a new UN General Assembly resolution on freedom of assembly and association, further strengthening support for civil society and human rights defenders. Throughout 2019 our network of embassies and high commissions will continue to work with Human Rights Defenders using the UK Guidelines on Working with Human Rights Defenders, which were updated again in 2018, to inform their work. Last year on International Human Rights Day Lord Ahmad hosted key human rights defenders.

Turkey: Freedom of Expression

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to reports of a warrant for the re-arrest of the journalist Eren Erdem, what assessment his Department has made of the level of (a) freedom of speech and (b) press freedom in Turkey.

Sir Alan Duncan: We are aware of the re-arrest of Eren Erdem and are following his case closely, including attendance at his most recent hearing. We have long encouraged Turkey to work towards the full protection of fundamental rights, particularly in the area of freedom of expression and of the media. We will continue to engage the Turkish Government on these issues and to urge respect for media freedom, which is essential to the long-term health of Turkish democracy.

Mediterranean Sea: Refugees

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the merits of the EU decision to extend Operation Sophia for three more months until the end of March 2019.

Sir Alan Duncan: This mandate extension allows the Operation to continue for a further three months and authorises the continuation of the Crime Information Cell, which allows better coordination between the Operation and law enforcement agencies, for the duration of the mandate. As EU Member States have yet to agree long-term arrangements for disembarking migrants rescued by vessels attached to the Operation, a technical extension to the mandate was necessary to allow time for Member States to find a solution.

Mediterranean Sea: Refugees

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the effectiveness of Operation Sophia in deterring illegal migrants seeking entry to the EU.

Sir Alan Duncan: Since Operation Sophia launched in July 2015, it has trained over 200 members of the Libyan Coastguard and Navy (LCG&N) on human rights, gender, and search and rescue, to improve their conduct and effectiveness in these areas. The LCG&N is now better able to rescue migrants at sea, which has been a contributory factor in reducing the volume of migrants crossing the Central Mediterranean into Italy. The smuggling networks can no longer operate with impunity in International Waters. The Operation has put over 551 smuggling vessels beyond use and rescued over 44,000 migrants.Operation Sophia is just one part of the EU’s overall approach to tackling the migration crisis. Ultimately, the UK Government aims to prioritise interventions upstream in countries of origin and transit to reduce the need of migrants to leave their home country or move on from a safe third country in their region. At the same time UK and EU efforts aim to alleviate the suffering of migrants in Libya through measures such as providing critical humanitarian assistance, supporting assisted voluntary returns, and working with the UN towards a political solution in Libya. The UK is clear that significant improvement in the human rights situation in Libya requires the stability of a united and representative government. ​

Human Trafficking: Mediterranean Sea

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government has taken in response to the finding of the House of Lords European Union Committee’s report entitled Operation Sophia: a failed mission, published on 12 July 2017, that Operation Sophia has failed to achieve its objective of contributing to the disruption of the business model of human smuggling and trafficking networks in the Southern Central Mediterranean.

Sir Alan Duncan: As my reply on 13 September 2017 to the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Union stated, the Government accepts that Operation SOPHIA has not delivered all we had hoped. However, there have been successes since Op SOPHIA was established. The smuggling networks can no longer operate with impunity in International Waters. The Operation has put over 551 smuggling vessels beyond use and rescued over 44,000 migrants. The Libyan Coastguard Training Task has also improved Libya's ability to manage its own maritime border.However, HMG has always been clear that Operation SOPHIA is one part of the European approach to this issue. Ultimately, we need to prioritise interventions upstream in countries of origin and transit. Doing so should reduce the need of individuals and families to leave their home country or move on from a safe third country in their region. It is also worth noting that Operation SOPHIA is additionally tasked with the important work of implementing the UN arms embargo on Libya in the High Seas. Military vessels are vital for this task, which prevents deliveries of arms that would further destabilise the fragile situation in Libya. Non-military vessels would not be able to deter smuggling gangs from operating in International Waters in the same way. Military assets are also better able to confiscate and destroy unsafe boats and outboard engines used by smugglers.

Asia Bibi

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his counterpart in Pakistan on Asia Bibi.

Mark Field: We regularly raise our concerns about human rights, including freedom of religion or belief, with the government of Pakistan. We do this at a senior level and the Foreign Secretary has discussed these issues with the Foreign Minister of Pakistan. As the Prime Minister has made clear in Parliament, the UK government’s primary concern is for the safety and well-being of Asia Bibi and her family. We are in contact with international parties about our shared desire to see a swift and positive resolution of the situation.​

Sudan: Politics and Government

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the political and security situation in Sudan, and if he will make a statement.

Harriett Baldwin: The UK remains deeply concerned by the Government of Sudan's response to recent protests in Sudan. Further to an 8 January Troika (UK/ISA/Norway) (plus Canada) statement, on 9 January the British Ambassador spoke to Sudan's Acting Foreign Minister to reiterate our deep concern at the level of violence used by the Government of Sudan to disperse peaceful protests. He also urged the government to respect the Sudanese people's right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and to ensure those responsible for the deaths of protestors are held to account. We continue to monitor the situation closely.

Iraq: Conflict, Stability and Security Fund

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the security, justice and reconciliation Programme in Iraq assists in the prosecution of individuals in Iraq’s criminal and counter-terrorism courts.

Alistair Burt: ​The security, justice and reconciliation programme in Iraq does not assist in the prosecution of individuals in Iraq's criminal and counter-terrorism courts. It aims to support the Government of Iraq to build stronger, more responsive and more accountable security sector institutions, and support the conditions for effective and sustainable community-level reconciliation.

Iraq: Conflict, Stability and Security Fund

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance assessment made in respect of the Security, Justice and Reconciliation Programme in Iraq; and if he will lay that assessment before Parliament.

Alistair Burt: We have not conducted a formal assessment of the effectiveness of the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) assessments in respect of Security, Justice and Reconciliation Programmes in Iraq. However, OSJAs were conducted in line with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office OSJA guidance and all OSJAs are kept under regular review. The most recent review was conducted this month.

Armed Conflict: Children

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) reduce the number of child soldiers and (b) prevent the recruitment of new child soldiers.

Mark Field: The UK is firmly committed to a global policy of ending the recruitment and use of child soldiers and to protecting all children affected by armed conflict.The UK is an active member of the United Nations Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), which leads the international response to the issue of child soldiers and child protection. This includes pressing those parties to conflict listed in the UN Secretary-General's annual report on CAAC to enter into concrete action plans with the UN to verify and release any child soldiers associated with armed groups and forces and to prevent re-recruitment. We apply diplomatic pressure to listed governments and armed groups, and fund projects to help protect and rehabilitate vulnerable children. We also press for the inclusion of child protection in peacekeeping responses through UN mandate renewals and resolutions.The UK is the largest single financial contributor to the office of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for CAAC contributing £800,000 in the last five years. We have shown our support for the SRSG's recently launched Global Coalition for Reintegration (GCR) by joining the 'Friends of Reintegration' group, a forum to generate new ideas for supporting reintegration programmes for children formerly associated with armed groups. The GCR is working to provide more reliable funding to ensure higher quality, longer-term reintegration programming and prevention of re-recruitment for all children formerly recruited and used by armed groups and forces.In 2018, the UK endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration, a political commitment to reduce the impact of conflict on education, and the Vancouver Principles, a political commitment to prevent the recruitment and use of children by armed forces and armed groups during the conduct of United Nations peace operations. As a member of the Group of Friends of CAAC in Geneva, we also participated in a joint statement to the 37th session of the Human Rights Council in March 2018, in which we reiterated our strong support for the mandate of the SRSG for CAAC. We worked very closely with Sweden and others to agree Resolution 2427 adopted by the UN Security Council in July 2018, to strengthen protection mechanisms for children in armed conflict.

Cabinet Office

Nurses: Higher Education

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has commissioned the Department of Health and Social Care to review Government policy on the reform of nursing higher education.

Mr David Lidington: The Cabinet Office continuously works with Government departments to support the Government’s delivery priorities. The Cabinet Office will continue to work with the Department for Health and Social Care on issues relating to health policy, including nursing education.

Civil Servants: Location

Royston Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Places for Growth Programme in identifying the potential for relocating government offices to Southampton.

Mr David Lidington: The Places for Growth programme seeks to deliver the Government’s commitment to move Civil Service roles and public bodies out of London and the South East of England. This commitment was set out in the Conservative Party Manifesto of 2017 and then restated in the Industrial Strategy White Paper and the Government Estates Strategy (July 2018).The Cabinet Office is supporting departments and public bodies to identify opportunities for relocation of roles to cities across the regions and nations of the United Kingdom. This will boost local economic growth and impact on the economic growth of wider city regions, and the United Kingdom as a whole, as well as ensure the administration of central government is distributed more evenly across the United Kingdom.All locations remain under active consideration as potential relocation destinations. The programme will be looking to consult with a number of additional cities over the coming months and we would be happy for Southampton to be involved in this process.

Department of Health and Social Care

Eating Disorders

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to implement the recommendation from the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsmen's December 2017 report entitled Ignoring the alarms: How NHS eating disorder services are failing patients that his Department and NHS England should review the existing quality and availability of adult eating disorder services to achieve parity with child and adolescent services.

Jackie Doyle-Price: In response to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman report, NHS England has convened a working group with NHS Improvement, Health Education England, the Department and other partners to co-ordinate the actions being taken in response to the recommendations. These actions will inform future planning for improvements to adult eating disorder services. NHS England commissioned NHS Benchmarking to collect data on the current levels of provision across community and inpatient services for adults with an eating disorder. This work reported to NHS England in 2018 and a modelling exercise has taken place to establish the baseline, understand the geographical variation, and the cost and workforce required to achieve parity with children and young people’s eating disorder services.

Orphan Drugs: Regulation

James Frith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to publish its consultation on the regulation of orphan drugs after the UK leaves the EU.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Government is committed to the safe and effective regulation of medicines in the United Kingdom; ensuring patients and the public have fast access to new, innovative medicines, including medicines for rare diseases. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) launched in October 2018 a consultation on the regulation of medicines in the event of a ‘no deal’ exit, which included the proposed UK approach to the regulation of orphan medicines post-exit, including on incentives to encourage such medicines onto the UK market. Following this consultation, the MHRA, on 3 January 2019, published guidance on the UK proposed arrangements for the regulation of orphan medicines, in the event of a ‘no deal’ exit. This can be accessed at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-guidance-note-on-the-regulation-of-medicines-medical-devices-and-clinical-trials-if-theres-no-brexit-deal

Learning Disability: Death

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Learning Disabilities Mortality Review report published by the University of Bristol, whether his Department is taking steps to address the recommendations of that report.

Caroline Dinenage: The Government’s response to the Learning Disabilities Mortality Review Programme (LeDeR) report, published on 12 September 2018, identifies actions for the Department, as well as NHS England and other partners, to address the national recommendations in the LeDeR report. The Department and its partners continue to make progress towards implementing these actions, to improve support for people with learning disabilities across the health and care system, reduce health inequalities and improve health and wellbeing outcomes.

Air Pollution

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 15 October 2018  to Question 174612 on Air Pollution, what plans his Department has to further study the effects of PM0.1 and PM1 particles on human health.

Steve Brine: Recent assessments have been undertaken of the health effects of long-term exposure to the air pollution mixture in the United Kingdom, but no separate assessments of the impact of the PM1 and PM0.1 components (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter smaller than 1 or 0.1 microns, respectively) of particulate air pollution have been produced. The reviews by the Health Effects Institute and the World Health Organization about the effects of different components of air pollution, including ultrafine particles (PM0.1), concluded that there is currently limited evidence on the effects on health of ultrafine particles. These reviews are available at the following link: https://www.healtheffects.org/publication/understanding-health-effects-ambient-ultrafine-particles http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/193108/REVIHAAP-Final-technical-report-final-version.pdf?ua=1 Currently, Public Health England has no plans to engage in work on the effects of PM1 and PM0.1 particles on human health over the coming year.

Public Health: Fuel Poverty

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effects of fuel poverty on public health.

Steve Brine: The causes of excess winter death and illness are complex and interlinked, and include circulating diseases such as influenza, cold temperatures and wider determinants of health, such as poor housing and fuel poverty. It is difficult to attribute the relative impacts of each of these factors as the contribution varies year on year. Living in a cold home and being in fuel poverty represent a significant risk to health, wellbeing and inequalities. The joint Public Health England and University College London Institute of Health Equity report ‘Local action on health inequalities: Fuel poverty and cold home-related health problems’ reported that an estimated 21.5% of annual excess winter deaths are attributable to the coldest quarter of housing. The report is available to view at the following link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/355790/Briefing7_Fuel_poverty_health_inequalities.pdf The Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF) includes an Excess Winter Deaths Index and a Fuel Poverty indicator, available to view at the following link: https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/search/fuel%20poverty#page/3/gid/1/pat/6/par/E12000007/ati/102/are/E09000022/iid/90356/age/1/sex/4 Local government use PHOF to assess the scale of the problem locally and are supported to take action through both the Cold Weather Plan for England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Guidelines.

Energy: Housing

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of home energy efficiency interventions on human health.

Steve Brine: The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is leading a project looking at the health impacts of living in cold homes. BEIS is working in collaboration with the Department for Work and Pensions, Public Health England and NHS Digital to understand and quantify the cost to the health service arising from households that underheat their homes requiring more hospital care, compared to similar households who heat their homes adequately. The study will also consider the impact of households who subsequently make energy efficiency improvements and whether this leads to a reduction in hospital care required. The study is set to conclude later in the year.

Incinerators: Health Hazards

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will make an (a) estimate of the levels and (b) assessment of the effects on public health of nitrogen oxides emitted during incineration of municipal waste.

Steve Brine: Public Health England (PHE) has reviewed the evidence on the effects of waste incinerators on human health. The PHE publication can be viewed at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/municipal-waste-incinerator-emissions-to-air-impact-on-health PHE does not have any current plans to estimate the levels and assessment of the effects on public health of nitrogen oxides emitted during incineration of municipal waste. PHE’s position is that well run and regulated modern municipal waste incinerators (MWIs) are not a significant risk to public health. This view is based on detailed assessments of the effects of air pollutants on health and on the fact that modern MWIs make a small contribution to local concentrations of air pollutants. PHE will review its advice in light of new substantial research on the health effects of incinerators published in peer reviewed journals. To date, PHE is not aware of any evidence that requires a change in its position statement.

Human Medicines Regulation 2012

Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason his Department held a public consultation for only three weeks on changes to the Human Medicines Regulation 2012 in relation to supply and the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) ran a four-week public consultation on changes to the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 in preparation for the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union in the event of a ‘no deal’, from 4 October to 1 November 2018. Preparations to ensure the UK will be ready for EU exit in all scenarios, including a potential ‘no deal’ outcome, requires contigency legislation to be made before 29 March 2019 to allow for an orderly exit. There was no statutory obligation to consult on these changes, but the MHRA applied the principles of best practice and consulted stakeholders publicly for as long as was feasible. This public consultation followed informal consultation with industry and the third sector on the proposed changes.

Emigration: Ex Gratia Payments

Cat Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans for the first payments to be made under the ex-gratia payment scheme for former child migrants.

Jackie Doyle-Price: On 19 December the Government published its response to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse's (IICSA) Interim Report and its report on Child Migration Programmes. The Government response outlines the Prime Minister’s decision to ensure that former child migrants receive a payment as soon as possible, in recognition of the fundamentally flawed nature of the historic child migration policy. It is our intention that the ex-gratia payment scheme is set up as quickly as possible, and further details will be provided shortly. We are aware that a number of former child migrants have sadly passed away since the IICSA Child Migration Programmes report was published, so the Government will accept applications in respect of any former child migrant who was alive on 1 March 2018, when the Inquiry’s Child Migration Programmes report was published.

Midwives: Training

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many student midwives began their training in each of the last five years.

Stephen Hammond: The number of students who started midwifery courses over recent years are shown in the following table. Number of entrants to midwifery courses in England from 2013/14 to 2017/18Year of entry2013/142014/152015/162016/172017/18Number of midwifery entrants2,5402,5352,5912,6022,692Source: Health Education England, Education Commissioning (EdCom) dataset

Midwives: Training

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many midwives there were in training in each of the last five years.

Stephen Hammond: The total number of student midwives in March of each academic year between 2014/15 and 2016/17 are shown in the following table. More recent data is not available. Total number of student midwives in England between 2014/15 and 2016/17Academic year2014/152015/162016/17Number of midwives in training6,6626,3506,559Source: Health Education England, Education Commissioning (EdCom) dataset

Midwives: Training

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many clinical placements for midwifery students were there in each of the last five years; and how much financial support was provided for these placements by his Department.

Stephen Hammond: The following table shows the number of midwifery training places available in each of the last five years for which information is available.  2012/132013/142014/152015/162016/17Midwives2,5782,5882,5552,6052,605Source: Prior to 2013 Departmental Financial Management System, since 2013 Health Education England Education Commissioning reports. Funding for midwifery placements is paid to placement providers at a nationally agreed tariff price. The current tariff payment is £3,112 per year for each full time equivalent placement. Tariff payments also attract a market forces factor payment, which is an additional payment to compensate for unavoidable cost differences between healthcare providers, based on their geographical location.

Midwives: Training

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of student midwives who began training did not go on to graduate in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Stephen Hammond: Midwifery courses typically last three years. Data from Health Education England (HEE) show the number of people who were known to have left midwifery courses in the first three years of study. This is known as observed expected attrition. Proportion of midwifery entrants from 2010/11 to 2014/15 who were known to have left in the first three years of studyYear of entry2010/112011/122012/132013/142014/15Observed expected attrition rate15.8%14.2%15.9%12.1%11.5% Source: HEE Reducing Pre-Registration Attrition and Improving Retention (RePAIR) report, Table 3 Page 29.https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/reducing-pre-registration-attrition-improving-retention

Midwives: Training

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people graduated in midwifery in each of the last five years.

Stephen Hammond: The following table shows the number of midwives who graduated in each academic year, for the period from 2012/13 to 2016/17. Data for 2017/18 is not yet available. Midwifery graduates in England from 2012/13 to 2016/17Year of graduation2012/132013/142014/152015/162016/17Number of midwifery graduates1,9972,0042,0852,0622,122 Source: Health Education England analysis of Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Record

Midwives: Employment

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of people graduating in midwifery went on to secure employment as midwives in the last five years for which figures are available.

Stephen Hammond: The Department does not hold data on the number of graduates in England who secured employment as midwives.

Midwives: Training

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the capacity of (a) universities to train and (b) the NHS to provide clinical placements for the planned 3,000 additional student midwives who will begin their training over the next four years; and what steps his Department is taking to increase that capacity.

Stephen Hammond: Applications for midwifery programmes are buoyant and universities are positive about their ability to accommodate the required growth. Demand for students to study midwifery courses has always been high and there are nearly three applicants for each midwifery training place. We are confident that nationally the universities and the National Health Service can train and provide clinical placements for this increase and will be working with both NHS Improvement and Health Education England as this expansion rolls out given their individual responsibilities for NHS maternity care and training.

Blood Transfusions

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to publicly release the results of its audit into Blood Policy files which delivered its final report in November 2018.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Internal audit reports are produced on behalf of Departments by the Government Internal Audit Agency and are not published. However, in these specific circumstances, the Department intends to release information from the audit report in response to a request made under the Freedom of Information Act.

Cannabis: Prescriptions

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS prescriptions have been issued for patients to use medical cannabis since 1 November 2018.

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS prescriptions for medicinal cannabis have been dispensed at a pharmacy since 1 November 2018.

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) prescriptions of and (b) patients who will use medical cannabis in the next 12 months.

Steve Brine: NHS England has set up systems to monitor the prescribing of cannabis-based products for medicinal use via the NHS Business Services Authority and NHS England Controlled Drugs Accountable Officers. We expect the first data to be available by the end of March 2019. The Department has made no estimate of future demand for medical cannabis over the next 12 months.

Drugs

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to Answer of 7 January 2019 to Question 203449 on Drugs, whether all the additional medicine warehousing capacity referred to in that Answer has been built.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2019 to Question 203449 on Drugs, whether all the additional medicine warehousing capacity referred to in that Answer has received planning permission from the relevant local authority.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to Answer of 7 January 2019 to Question 203449 on Drugs, what recruitment has taken place to staff the additional medicine warehousing capacity referred to in that Answer.

Stephen Hammond: Contract agreements for storage have recently been signed or will be signed imminently. We have agreed funding on the condition that the additional medicine warehousing capacity is in place in time to accommodate stockpiled medicines by the beginning of February 2019. Those warehouses are all in existence and have planning permission. It is for those contractors to determine the best means of ensuring that the warehouses are adequately staffed in line with their normal business practices.

CJD

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve diagnosis rates of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the symptoms of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are identified at the earliest opportunity.

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people were diagnosed with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in (a) Witham constituency, (b) the East of England and (c) England and Wales in the most recent five years for which data is available.

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to raise awareness among medical professionals of the symptoms of (a) sporadic, (b) variant, (c) genetic and (d) Iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease.

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average waiting time has been for a diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) in the last five years for which data is available.

Steve Brine: Early diagnosis of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (sCJD) is challenging as the disorder is rare, and symptoms are non-specific, mimicking those seen in more common neurodegenerative, neuroinflammatory, and infectious disorders. Rapidity of progression and lack of response to treatment often leads clinicians to suspect a CJD diagnosis. The Department and the Scottish Government fund the National CJD Research and Surveillance Unit (NCJDRSU) to provide inter-disciplinary clinical and laboratory expertise (neurology, neuroradiology, neuropathology, biochemistry, and epidemiology) enabling early and accurate diagnosis of CJD. Clinicians from across the United Kingdom can discuss cases at any time. Highly trained specialists assess suspected cases locally within five days of referral and conduct structured assessments (clinical history, examination, and review of investigation results) before establishing diagnoses based on validated criteria. A consultant neuroradiologist at the NCJDRSU assesses neuroimaging for patients throughout the UK with a suspicion of CJD. The unit also provides a national diagnostic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) 14-3-3/RT-QuIC service and will arrange collection of CSF samples with prompt results. Information on how clinicians can refer cases to the NCJDRSU is available at the following link: http://www.cjd.ed.ac.uk/surveillance/referral-system The Department and the Scottish Government have funded the development of diagnostic tests that combined with improved interpretation of neuroimaging has improved diagnostic accuracy. The NCJDRSU collects data on the number of people diagnosed with sCJD in the UK; break downs by of data for smaller geographies are not published. The following table shows a breakdown of the number of individuals, by year of death between 2014 and 2017. Date of diagnosis are considered synonymous for the purpose of reporting. Number of sCJD 2014-18 in the UK by year of death (as at January 2019).Year of deathNumber2014992015105201611920171202018125Source: NCJDRSU: https://www.cjd.ed.ac.uk/sites/default/files/figs.pdf  The NCJDRSU presents data regularly at clinical meetings and publishes in peer reviewed medical journals accessed by medical professionals, as well as producing a detailed annual report at the following link: http://www.cjd.ed.ac.uk/sites/default/files/report26.pdf The NCJDRSU website also provides information on the different types of CJD at the following link: http://www.cjd.ed.ac.uk/surveillance/diagnosis-and-testing sCJD is a rapidly progressive neurological disorder with an average time from first symptom onset to death of four months. The majority (88%) of individuals with sCJD over the past five years were assessed by clinicians from the NCJDRSU in life. After formal referral to NCJDRSU the average time to confirmation of the diagnosis was three days.

Nurses: West Midlands

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many vacant NHS registered nursing positions there are in the West Midlands.

Stephen Hammond: NHS Improvement collects vacancy rates of medical and nursing staff from NHS providers. The latest NHS Improvement estimate as at 30 September 2018, is that in the West Midlands there are 3,898 full time equivalent nursing and midwifery vacancies. NHS Improvement counts a vacancy when no permanent member of staff occupies a post, even when it is filled by bank and agency staff. The latest NHS Improvement estimate as at 30 September 2018, is that in England overall, roughly 80% of nursing and midwifery vacancies are filled by a combination of bank and agency staff. This information can be found at the following link: https://improvement.nhs.uk/documents/3520/Performance_of_the_NHS_provider_sector_for_the_month_ended_30_Sept_18_FINAL.pdf Posts may be vacant, for a variety of reasons including maternity and career breaks. Trusts make decisions based on local needs about how they fill these posts, including looking at short-term options for cover, including bank and agency staff.

Drugs: Licensing

Karen Lee: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to facilitate patient access to off-patent drugs.

Steve Brine: Off patent drugs are widely used every day in the National Health Service, and there are no barriers to their use.

NHS: Finance

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department's estimate of the funding required to deliver the NHS Long Term Plan reflects a potential reduction in investment after the UK leaves the EU.

Stephen Hammond: In its estimate of the funding required to deliver the NHS Long Term Plan, the Department has not assumed any change in investment after the United Kingdom leaves the European Union. The National Health Service has confirmed the Long Term Plan is fully costed. The extra funding for the NHS will still apply in all exit scenarios in order to ensure it is there for the long term.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 22 of the NHS Long Term Plan, whether staff who will work in the new acute frailty services within A&E will be newly recruited staff.

Stephen Hammond: My Rt. hon. Friend Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has commissioned Baroness Harding, working closely with Sir David Behan, to lead a number of programmes to engage with key National Health Service interests to develop a detailed workforce implementation plan. Baroness Harding and Sir David will present initial recommendations to the Department in March. These plans will consider detailed proposals to grow the workforce rapidly, and consider what additional staff and skills are required to support the implementation of the Long Term Plan, including delivering new acute frailty services.

Suicide: Bereavement Counselling

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 72 of the NHS Long Term Plan, how much funding has been allocated to suicide bereavement support for families and mental health staff; and on what date will that support will be in place.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Building on the model used in Cambridge and Peterborough’s crisis pathway, suicide bereavement support for families and staff working in mental health crisis services will be put in place in every area of the country. Funding for mental health will increase by at least £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24, which includes funding to ensure bereavement support in every part of the country by 2023/24. The detailed implementation plan noted on page 10 of the Long Term Plan will contain more details of funding for specific services.

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust: Finance

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much of the additional winter funding for the NHS has been allocated to the Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust.

Stephen Hammond: Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust has been allocated £1,200,000 of winter funding. In addition, Havering Borough Council has been allocated £1,005,683 of adult social care winter funding to further help reduce pressure on the National Health Service by getting patients home quicker and freeing up hospital beds.

Pancreatic Cancer

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Steve Brine: NHS England will shortly be introducing a Faster Diagnostic Standard of 28 days for all cancer patients, including those with pancreatic cancer, which when taken together with the 62-day referral to treatment standard, will mean that all patients should expect to start their treatment within 34 days of diagnosis. This is a maximum, and trusts should continue to treat patients more quickly particularly where there is a strong clinical need.

NHS: Vacancies

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to tackle staff shortages as part of the NHS Long-Term Plan.

Stephen Hammond: The National Health Service employs more staff now than at any other time in its 70-year history, with significant growth in newly qualified staff over the period from 2010. The NHS Long Term Plan published on 7 January 2019 sets out a vital strategic framework to ensure that over the next 10 years the NHS will have the staff it needs so that nurses and doctors have the time they need to care, working in a supportive culture that allows them to provide the expert compassionate care they are committed to providing. My Rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has commissioned Baroness Dido Harding working closely with Sir David Behan to lead a number of programmes to engage with key NHS interests to develop a detailed workforce implementation plan. These programmes will consider detailed proposals to grow the workforce rapidly, including consideration of additional staff and skills required, build a supportive working culture in the NHS and ensure first rate leadership for NHS staff.

Preventive Medicine

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he plans to publish the green paper on prevention.

Steve Brine: The Green Paper on prevention will be published later this year. It will follow on from the NHS Long Term Plan in setting out our plans to put prevention at the heart of our health and social care system for the long term.

Visual Impairment

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to reduce levels of preventable blindness.

Steve Brine: Prevention, early detection and access to timely treatment are key to preventing avoidable blindness. The Government has well established programmes on reducing smoking and obesity, both long term risk factors for vision loss. Early detection is key and free National Health Service sight tests are available to all children, those aged 60 and over, individuals on low incomes or at increased risk of certain eye diseases. Diabetic retinopathy is a common complication of diabetes which can lead to sight loss. The diabetic retinopathy screening programme offered screening to over three million eligible people during 2016/17. Clinical commissioning groups are responsible for commissioning secondary care ophthalmology services to meet local needs. Two key initiatives, Getting it Right First Time being led by NHS Improvement and the Elective Care Transformation Programme being led by NHS England have considered, as part of their programmes, what can be done to improve outcomes for ophthalmology patients. The All Party Parliamentary Group on Eye Health and Visual Impairment’s ‘See the Light’ report, published in June 2018 set out a number of recommendations on this issue. Initial meetings have been held with key stakeholders to discuss the Department and NHS England’s response to the report’s recommendations and these discussions are ongoing. The report can be found at the following link: https://www.rnib.org.uk/sites/default/files/See%20the%20light_Improving%20NHS%20eye%20care%20capacity%20in%20England_0.pdf

Cancer: Medical Treatments

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of patients who have (a) used Immunotherapy treatments under the NHS and (b) had Immunotherapy treatments ended after two years in each of the last five years.

Steve Brine: This information is not held centrally.

NHS: Training

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to involve people with learning disabilities and autism in the development of mandatory training for NHS staff.

Caroline Dinenage: We will shortly consult on proposals for mandatory learning disability and autism training to ensure that staff working in health and social care understand the needs of people with learning disabilities and autism and have the skills to provide them with the most effective care and support. Officials have worked with people with lived experience of learning disabilities and autism to develop the consultation proposals. We want to hear a range of views, including those from people with a learning disability or autism and their families, and in line with Cabinet Office principles on consultation, we will tailor the consultation to meet the needs and preferences of different groups, including the provision of consultation documents in alternative formats.

Department of Health and Social Care: Brexit

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much money his Department has allocated for preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a deal to date; how much of that funding has been made by way of ministerial direction; and for what functions that funding has been allocated.

Stephen Hammond: At Autumn Budget 2017, HM Treasury made an additional £3 billion of funding available over the next two years – £1.5 billion in each year – so that departments and the devolved administrations can continue to prepare effectively for European Union exit. That is in addition to the £700 million previously made available to prepare for EU exit at Autumn Budget 2016. In the Spring Statement on 13 March 2018, my Rt. hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Elizabeth Truss MP) laid a Written Ministerial Statement, HCWS540, setting out the full Departmental allocations of the £1.5 billion for 2018/19. HM Treasury approved £21.1 million of funding for the Department of Health and Social Care’s preparations for EU exit in 2018/19, including planning for ‘no deal’. Spend against this allocation for 2018/19 will be included in the 2018/19 financial accounts in due course. The Autumn Budget 2018 confirmed an additional £500 million of cross-Government funding for 2019/20, meaning the Government will have invested over £4 billion in preparing for EU exit since 2016. This funding will help departments manage pressures and contingencies arising from EU exit preparations which fall in the 2019/20 financial year, as well as ensuring that the United Kingdom is prepared to seize the opportunities available when we leave the EU. The Department of Health and Social Care has been allocated £50 million from this budget, as set out in the Chief Secretary’s Written Ministerial Statement HCWS1205, laid before Parliament on the 19 December 2018. No written ministerial direction for expenditure on contingency planning for ‘no deal’ has been sought by the Accounting Officer for the Department. The Department is preparing for all eventualities and the resources available to support preparations are kept under constant review.

Prisoners: Alcoholic drinks and Drugs

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the number of prisoners who have reported a drug or alcohol misuse problem upon arrival at prison in the latest period for which figures are available.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Data on alcohol and drug misuse treatment in prisons and other secure settings is available from Public Health England’s national drug treatment monitoring system (NDTMS). The 2016-17 NDTMS report shows that there were 59,258 adults in contact with drug and alcohol treatment services within secure settings. Most of these (55,721) were in prisons, but there were also 3,015 in young offender institutions and 522 in immigration and removal centres. This report can be viewed at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/substance-misuse-treatment-in-secure-settings-statistics-2016-to-2017

Social Services: Disability

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure the forthcoming social care green paper will address social care provision for adults of working age with a disability.

Caroline Dinenage: The Green Paper will cover care and support for adults of all ages, and incorporate insights from the joint work the Department of Health and Social Care has done with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on working age adults with care and support needs. The joint work undertaken by the Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government last year engaged widely with stakeholders; including local authorities, providers, national charities and system partners as well as people with lived experience, family members and organisations run by disabled people such as DRUK and Inclusion London. Officials have also collated and reviewed existing reports and evidence previously produced by voluntary sector organisations and other partners as part of this work.

Department for International Development

Palestinians: Overseas Aid

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department intends to publish audit reports on Overseas Development Assistance to the Palestinian Authority.

Alistair Burt: DFID is acutely aware that transparency over UK Aid is vital. We currently do not release these reports, but take concerns relating to our funding to the Palestinian Authority very seriously. I personally will be meeting with a member of the PA cabinet to discuss these issues next week.

Overseas Aid: Cost Effectiveness

Steve Double: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that UK aid is always targeted at countries who most need that aid in order to ensure value for money for UK taxpayers.

Alistair Burt: UK Aid aims to achieve the UN’s Global Goals and the Government’s objectives as set out in the 2015 UK Aid Strategy. Bilateral Official Development Assistance is allocated based on considerations of need, i.e. levels of poverty, ability of countries to fund themselves and whether DFID can add value. The 2016 bilateral and multilateral development reviews set out our approach to allocations in more detail. Our project design approach makes sure every project focuses on eradicating poverty, and projects are rigorously appraised to ensure value for money.

Syria: Refugees

Steve Double: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what plans her Department have to continue providing targeted humanitarian aid and assistance to refugees affected by the Syrian conflict in 2019.

Alistair Burt: The UK remains at the forefront of the humanitarian response to the Syria crisis, providing life-saving support to millions of Syrians across the region. So far, DFID has spent over £1.2 billion to support over 5.6 million refugees in the region. For 2019, we have pledged to provide at least £300 million to alleviate the extreme suffering in Syria and neighbouring countries. Our assistance is focused on the most vulnerable Syrian refugees in the region to meet their immediate needs and improve their lives until they can safely return to Syria. In 2017/18 alone, our support to countries neighbouring Syria provided over 135,000 people with access to clean water and 585,000 children with access to formal education.

Iraq: Internally Displaced People

Martin Docherty-Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what humanitarian aid her Department is providing in the camps for the displaced people from Mosul, Iraq.

Alistair Burt: DFID is one of the largest donors to the UN’s Iraq Humanitarian Fund (IHF), having committed over £74m since 2014. The IHF was one of the largest and most comprehensive funding mechanisms available for humanitarian partners responding to the needs of Moslawis throughout 2017 and 2018. The IHF rapidly scaled up its operations in advance of Mosul’s liberation, including with significant financial support from DFID. In March 2017, for example, over £1.5m was allocated by the IHF to expand and upgrade water and sanitation facilities in Haj Ali IDP camp in Ninewa Governorate, to ensure preparedness for the increasing caseload of displaced people from Mosul. The IHF continues to support dozens of humanitarian camps in the region, and DFID maintains a close dialogue with the UN in this respect. In addition to helping those displaced from Mosul, DFID is supporting efforts to improve conditions in the city so that people can return home following the conflict. This includes over £30m in funding for the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) and UNDP’s Funding Facility for Stabilisation (FFS) since 2015. UNMAS focusses on the removal of explosive hazards and the FFS works to restore basic services; the latter has already rehabilitated dozens of hospitals and schools, and is currently carrying out work to repair the decimated electricity grid in West Mosul.

Iraq: Internally Displaced People

Martin Docherty-Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what aid and support is being provided by her Department to unaccompanied children resident in the internally displaced camps of Iraq.

Alistair Burt: Children in Iraq have been disproportionately impacted by four years of Daesh control. DFID is working with UNICEF to provide specialist child protection services, tailored to the individual needs of 12,000 of the most vulnerable children, including in IDP camps. This specialised programme provides psychosocial support, counselling, legal representation, as well as wider protection services to the children who need them most. Furthermore, DFID is one of the largest donors to the UN’s Iraq Humanitarian Fund (IHF), having committed over £74m since 2014. The IHF is the primary mechanism through which the international community has responded to the humanitarian crisis in Iraq since 2014. It provides multi-sector support for girls and boys through the provision of education, protection, education, and healthcare services to hundreds of thousands of children each year. DFID humanitarian experts maintain a close dialogue with all humanitarian stakeholders in Iraq and we remain committed to advocating for the needs of children displaced by the conflict, including those who are unaccompanied.

Syria: Internally Displaced People

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment her Department has made of the humanitarian situation in the Rukban camp in Syria.

Alistair Burt: The UK is extremely concerned about the dire humanitarian situation of the 40,000 – 50,000 displaced Syrians currently stranded at Rukban camp. Whilst we were encouraged by the recent aid convoy that took place in November 2018, it is crucial that this is not viewed as a one-off event. A recent UN assessment highlighted in particular the major health and protection concerns caused by the lack of sustained access provided to humanitarian actors. The UK urges the Assad regime and its backers, in the strongest possible terms, to facilitate full humanitarian access to enable a second convoy with winter supplies to take place followed by regular and unrestricted aid deliveries thereafter.

Developing Countries: Education

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which objectives her Department is seeking to achieve by investing in girls’ education in developing countries.

Harriett Baldwin: In the three years from 2015 to 2018 DFID supported at least 5.6 million girls to gain a decent education. The objective of our investment is to support girls to attend school, learn whilst they are there, and help ensure the critical transition from primary to secondary education. Through this work we are supporting girls to achieve basic literacy and numeracy and are helping to equip them with the skills they need to succeed in jobs of the future.Evidence for the benefits of investment in girls’ education includes:An extra year of primary schooling for girls can increase their wages by 10-20%, most of which is likely to be reinvested in her family and community.A World Bank study found that every year of secondary school education is correlated with an 18% increase in a girls’ future earning power.Education helps to prevent early marriage and early pregnancy - girls with no education are 3 times as likely to marry by 18 as those with a secondary or higher education.If all girls completed primary school in sub-Saharan Africa and South and West Asia, the number of girls getting married by age 15 would fall by 14%; with secondary education, 64% fewer girls would get married.A UNICEF study from Bangladesh attributes the halving of the Maternal Mortality Rates from 1990 to 2008 to the increased enrolment of girls in secondary education. We believe that investing in educating girls is both the right and the smart thing to do, both socially and economically. Our work is guided by DFID’s 2018 Education Policy – Get Children Learning. This sets out how educating girls can: support better health choices, boost earnings, build social cohesion and help institutions and public services work better.

Developing Countries: Slavery

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what programmes her Department (a) promotes and (b) funds to tackle child slavery in developing countries.

Alistair Burt: DFID is at the forefront of the UK’s international efforts to end violence against, and abuse and exploitation of children – including the worst forms of child labour. We are promoting action to end modern slavery in all its forms in line with Sustainable Development Goals 16.2, 8.7 and 5.2 and as well as leading efforts to increase support for, and implementation of, the Prime Minister’s “Call to Action to end Forced Labour, Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking” launched in 2017. The Call to Action has now endorsed by over 80 countries and we continue to work with governments, civil society and the private sector to push for action at all levels.In 2017 the Government committed to doubling aid spending to tackle modern slavery to £150 million. We have exceeded this goal with UK aid committed now amounting to just over £200 million. DFID funded programmes make up the bulk of this aid and includes work to reduce vulnerability to exploitation and address the permissive environments which allow child exploitation to exist and thrive.Full details of this work can be found at https://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/. Examples include: a £26 million Regional Programme to tackle the worst forms of child labour in Asia (e.g. Bangladesh and Nepal); a £10 million Children on the Move Programme (in partnership with UNICEF) to protect up to 400,000 children at risk of violence and slavery in the Horn of Africa and along dangerous migratory routes in Sudan, Somalia and Ethiopia; and a new £12 million UK Aid Connect Programme to address child labour in fragile and conflict affected states in Africa (such as the DRC).

Department for Education

Children and Young People: Supported Housing

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of (a) bed and breakfast accommodation, (b) adult hostels and (c) campsites used for 16 and 17 year olds requiring independent living accommodation.

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the accuracy of the figures produced by BBCRadio5 and the Observer that the numbers of 16 and 17 year olds in independent living placements without live-in support in England has increased by 28 per cent since 2010.

Nadhim Zahawi: The department collects annual data on looked after children in independent living, with or without live-in support. These figures are given in the attached table. This information is not broken down to bed and breakfast accommodation, adult hostels, campsites or independent living placements without live-in support. Securing suitable accommodation that meets the needs of looked after children is a vital step in delivering improved outcomes for this vulnerable group.The number of children in independent living increased by 29% between 2010 and 2018. This category includes accommodation such as a flat, lodgings, bedsit, bed and breakfast or living with friends. Live-in visiting support may be included as part of this package. Care should be taken when interpreting this rise because changes to the collection resulted in improvements in the accuracy of reporting placements. The figures for 2015 and earlier years are therefore not comparable with later years and any assessment of trends should take this into account.The department collects and publishes data on 17 year old care leavers who are accommodated in bed and breakfasts and emergency accommodation. This is published in Table F4 of the statistical release ‘Children looked after in England including adoption: 2017 to 2018’ and can be accessed at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018.



206406_206407_table_of_children_in_assisted_living
(Word Document, 59 KB)

Special Educational Needs

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications for Education, Health and Care plans were made to each local authority in each of the last three years.

Nadhim Zahawi: The number of initial requests that were made for assessment for an Education Health Care plan is provided by local authority for the calendar years 2016 and 2017 is provided in the accompanying table. No comparable earlier data is available.



Initial_requests_for_assessment_for_an_EHC_plan
(Excel SpreadSheet, 75.5 KB)

Pre-school Education: Teachers

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the letter of 18 July 2018 from the Minister of State for Children and Families to the Chair of the Education Select Committee on that Committee’s Life Chances inquiry, for what reasons he did not undertake a full public consultation on amending regulations to enable people with Early Years Professional Status and Early Years Teacher Status to lead nursery classes in maintained settings; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: There was no requirement to undertake a public consultation.To consider making an amendment to the regulations (under section 122 of the Education Act 2002), the Secretary of State must consult with those as appear to [him/her] to be appropriate to consult having regard to the content of the order. To meet the requirement and the commitment set out in the early years workforce strategy we consulted with the relevant stakeholders the department regularly consults under this section of the Education Act 2002 – Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, unions and bodies representing the interests of governing bodies of schools, school and college leaders and teachers.

Pre-school Education: Teachers

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the letter of 18 July 2018 from the Minister of State for Children and Families to the Chair of the Education Select Committee on that Committee’s Life Chances inquiry, if he will place in the Library a copy of his analysis of the written consultation undertaken with those relevant stakeholders his Department regularly consults under the relevant section of the Education Act 2002 on amending regulations to enable people with Early Years Professional Status and Early Years Teacher Status to lead nursery classes in maintained settings.

Nadhim Zahawi: The analysis of the consultation feedback is contained within policy advice to ministers. The majority of the feedback did not support the proposed regulation change on the basis that it would not lead to parity in the pay and conditions for between those holding Early Years Professional Status/Early Years Teachers Status and teachers with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Schools: Discipline

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance he has issued to head teachers on tackling low-level disruption in schools.

Nick Gibb: The Department for Education produces guidance for head teachers and school staff on developing school behaviour policy and explains the powers members of staff have to maintain discipline in the classroom. The full guidance can be viewed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/488034/Behaviour_andDiscipline_in_Schools_-_A_guide_for_headteachers_and_School_Staff.pdf. In addition, the Government commissioned behaviour expert, Tom Bennett, to conduct an independent review on behaviour management in schools. ‘Creating a culture’, published in 2017, focused on leadership, culture and systems used to tackle disruptive pupil behaviour. It provides practical advice for head teachers about creating a school culture that prevents low-level disruption, maintains good discipline and promotes pupils’ education, focus and wellbeing. The full report can be viewed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/602487/Tom_Bennett_Independent_Review_of_Behaviour_in_Schools.pdf. In 2018, the Government announced a £10 million investment to further support schools and teachers to share best practice and knowledge on behaviour management and classroom management.

Teachers: Training

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will review initial teacher training to ensure that it includes effective training on behaviour management.

Nick Gibb: Initial Teacher Training (ITT) must prepare trainees to meet the Teachers' Standards (2011) in order to gain Qualified Teacher Status. This includes enabling trainees to demonstrate that they can manage behaviour effectively to ensure a good and safe learning environment. Providing the best possible training is at the heart of the Government’s drive to improve teaching standards. The Department published the framework of core content for ITT in July 2016, alongside a behaviour management report. The framework advises that trainees should “learn and practise a range of routines for improving pupil behaviour…and be able to employ strategies to secure and maintain an orderly classroom.” The behaviour management report advises that providers should “ensure trainees have the skills, knowledge and attitudes to manage behaviour successfully”.In May 2018, the Department committed to extending the induction period for new teachers, supported by an early career framework (ECF). The content of this framework will complement ITT and support trainees to continue to develop their knowledge, skills and behaviours as they embark on their early careers.

Schools: Mobile Phones

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance he has issued to schools on restricting the use of smart phones in schools.

Nick Gibb: Head teachers have powers to set school behaviour policies, including rules for mobile phone use. Schools can therefore choose to ban or limit the use of smart phone or tablets on school premises during the school day. Schools should make any policies on smart phones or tablets known to all staff, pupils and parents. These policies should outline any sanctions that will be imposed if pupils break these rules. The guidance on behavioural policies can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/behaviour-and-discipline-in-schools.The Bennett Review of behaviour in schools includes a chapter about the use of technology in schools and case studies of policies in place. The report, which was published in 2018, can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/behaviour-in-schools.

Nurseries: Local Government

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many local authority run nurseries there were in (a) 2010 and (b) the latest period for which figures are available.

Nadhim Zahawi: The department collects data on all providers offering funded early education via the schools and early years census data collections. Local authority run nurseries would be most likely to be listed in the ‘local authority day nurseries’ category. In January 2010 there were 463 local authority day nurseries with children in receipt of funded early education, and 428 local authority day nurseries with children in receipt of funded early education in January 2018. Local authority day nurseries with no funded children will be omitted from these numbers.The provision for children under 5 years of age national statistics release shows the number of local authority day nurseries separately for 2 year-olds (table 12) and 3 and 4 year-olds (table 13): https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/education-provision-children-under-5-years-of-age-january-2018. Where children received funded early education at more than one private, voluntary or independent (PVI) provider they have been counted only once. The PVI provider where the child took the majority of their funded hours is the provider reported in the statistical release figures therefore, if the local authority day nursery was not providing the majority of a child’s hours, they will not have been counted in tables 12 and 13.

Schools: Vocational Education

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what sanctions are available to (a) Ofsted, (b) Regional Schools Commissioners and (c) his Department to ensure that schools comply with section 2 of the Further Education and Technical Act 2017.

Anne Milton: Section 2 of the Technical and Further Education Act (2017), often referred to as the ‘Baker Clause’, requires all maintained schools and academies to make sure that there is an opportunity for a range of education and training providers to meet pupils in year 8 to year 13 for the purpose of informing them about approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships.We introduced the ‘Baker Clause’ in January 2018 and published statutory guidance on careers guidance and on access for education and training providers which explains what schools must do to comply with this law. This is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/careers-guidance-provision-for-young-people-in-schools.In the event of suspected non-compliance with the duty and statutory guidance, our approach is for the parties involved to try to resolve the matter locally. This might include Regional Schools Commissioners or local authorities discussing and addressing any barriers to compliance with multi-academy trusts, individual academies or maintained schools.If the department finds fault with a school’s policies following a complaint, then remedial action could be taken. This could include an official or a minister from the department writing to the school and, ultimately, the possibility of the Secretary of State using intervention powers.Regarding Ofsted, this is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the right hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Apprentices: Taxation

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much Apprenticeship Levy funding has been (a) spent, (b) drawn down by Levy contributor employers, (c) spent on apprenticeships training by non-Levy contributor employers, (d) allocated in incentives and payments to apprentices, (e) spent on English and Maths requirements and (f) allocated to other Levy-related spending in each financial year since the introduction of that Levy.

Anne Milton: The following information pertains to the 2017-18 financial year and is based on the aggregate spending on apprenticeships as set out in the department’s 2017-18 annual report and accounts.In the 2017-18 financial year, the department spent £1.58 billion on apprenticeships. Of the £1.58 billion, £1.52 billion was spent on training and assessing apprentices:£1.065 billion on ongoing costs of training apprentices who started before the levy was introduced in May 2017.£268 million was spent on training for apprentices who started on or after 1 May 2017 with levy paying employers.£189 million was spent on training for apprentices who started on or after 1 May 2017 with employers who do not pay the levy.Additional payments relating to apprentices who started on or after 1 May 2017 were £99 million. English and maths training for apprentices who started on or after 1 May 2017 was £38 million.The remaining spending of £58 million was on maintaining the apprenticeship programme and service, and on learners still funded under legacy areas of policy (now closed to new learners).

Apprentices: Taxation

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of Apprenticeship Levy (a) funding and (b) spending for 2018-19.

Anne Milton: The Department for Education has a ring-fenced apprenticeship budget which has been set regardless of how much levy receipts are each year. This budget was set at £2.23 billion for the 2018-19 financial year. It is used to fund new apprenticeship starts in levy and non-levy paying employers and to cover the ongoing training costs of apprentices that are already in training.Spending on the apprenticeship programme is demand led - employers choose which apprenticeships they offer and at what level, how many and when, to meet their current and future skills needs.We will publish details on aggregate apprenticeship spending in our departmental end of year accounts as part of our annual financial reporting cycle.

Institute for Apprenticeships

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will publish the (a) dates of and (b) principal topics for discussion at the meetings that (i) he, (ii) Ministers in his Department and (iii) officials in his Department have had with the Institute for Apprenticeships since it was established.

Anne Milton: Since the Institute for Apprenticeships was established in April 2017, ministers and officials in the department have had regular meetings with the institute. These have included 6 monthly ministerial reviews with the institute, and quarterly performance reviews at senior official level. These reviews have discussed the progress of the institute in discharging its apprenticeship responsibilities and preparing to take on responsibilities for T levels. Ministers and officials have met the institute regularly between these meetings to discuss a range of issues related to the business of the institute and the apprenticeship and technical education reform programmes.

Apprentices: Finance

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the stated aims are of the apprenticeship funding band review; and how those aims align with Government policy on apprenticeships.

Anne Milton: The aim of the apprenticeship funding band review is to assess whether apprenticeship standards are set in the appropriate funding band to support high-quality delivery and to provide value for money for employers and government, following the introduction of the 30 band funding structure in August 2018. This is set out on the Institute for Apprenticeships’ website: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/about/news-events/funding-band-review/.This is in line with our commitment to create an apprenticeships programme which delivers high-quality apprenticeship training in a sustainable way.

Apprentices

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether it is his Department’s policy to prioritise the take-up of higher-level apprenticeship programmes at Levels 4-7, over programmes at Levels 2-3.

Anne Milton: Employers choose the type, level and quantity of apprenticeships that they offer, as well as when they offer the apprenticeships, to meet their current and future skills needs.The Institute for Apprenticeships is supporting employers to design and take charge of high quality apprenticeship standards that give them the skills that they need. There are currently 390 standards available at all levels and in a range of occupations.Apprenticeship starts at levels 2 and 3 make up the vast majority of the programme. There were 327,600 starts at these levels in 2017/18, which represents over 87% of starts. Apprenticeships at higher levels (from level 4 onwards) are continuing to grow, with an increase of 31.7% in 2017/18 compared to 2016/17. There were over six times more starts on apprenticeships at levels 6 and 7 in 2017/18 (10,880 starts) than in 2016/17 (1,700 starts).This shows how apprenticeships are helping people to train in skilled occupations at all levels and to progress in their careers.

Apprentices

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) skills and (b) economic sectors his Department has classified as priority for the apprenticeships sector.

Anne Milton: The government want to see high-quality apprenticeship opportunities at all levels, right across the economy, and we are working with employer groups in a wide range of sectors to develop the standards their industries need. A total of 390 apprenticeship standards are now approved for delivery.[1]Apprenticeships benefit people of all ages and backgrounds, and the government’s reforms are driving up quality and enabling people to gain the skills employers need.As part of the Industrial Strategy, the department contributes to Sector Deals: business-led agreements between a sector and government, with each side making commitments to work in new and innovative ways to improve productivity.[2] All of the sector deals include elements relating to skills and the labour market specific to those sectors, including commitments to increase the number of apprenticeships at all levels across priority sectors. This could include promoting apprenticeships to existing workers, to support progression and re-training to provide the highly skilled workforce employers need.Further sector deals are in progress towards formal negotiation. The government is fully engaged in this process and seeks opportunities to embed skills policy initiatives within each deal.[1] https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/?includeApprovedForDelivery=true.[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-sector-deals/introduction-to-sector-deals.

Apprentices: Finance

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions his Department has had with stakeholders from the apprenticeships sector on the apprenticeship funding band reviews.

Anne Milton: The Institute for Apprenticeships is responsible for running the funding band reviews. As part of the review process for every apprenticeship, the Institute for Apprenticeships has worked closely with trailblazer groups of employers to gather evidence to inform the review and to assess sector views on funding. Both the Institute for Apprenticeships and the department have also met regularly with wider employers, providers, assessment organisations and sector representative organisations to discuss the funding band review.

Schools: Cybercrime

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment his Department has made of the level of preparedness of schools in response to the risk of cyber attacks.

Nick Gibb: The Department is continuing to work with colleagues at the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the UK’s authority on cyber security, to ensure there is consistent messaging to report all cyber-related incidents to Action Fraud.We are currently working with the NCSC and third party providers to undertake a review of security awareness and implemented security controls across schools in England.

School Leaving

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to raise awareness of alternatives to higher education among school leavers.

Anne Milton: Good careers education and guidance should give people access to the information that they need to make informed decisions on education, training and employment options. This includes routes into technical education and apprenticeships. The government’s careers strategy makes clear that all schools are responsible for making sure that their students can access independent careers guidance. We continue to invest in careers provision across England to make sure that all young people are aware while they are still at school of the post-16 opportunities that are available.Schools are also legally responsible for making sure that pupils are informed about approved technical education qualifications or apprenticeships. We introduced a new law in January 2018 which requires all maintained schools and academies to provide opportunities for a range of education and training providers to meet pupils in year 8 to year 13. This is often referred to as the ‘Baker Clause’ and followed evidence from Ofsted that vocational training and apprenticeships are rarely promoted effectively in schools.The department has published statutory guidance on careers guidance and access for education and training providers which explains what schools must do to comply with this law. This is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/careers-guidance-provision-for-young-people-in-schools.

Pre-school Education: Pupil Premium

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason the funding allocation for the early years pupil premium in the dedicated schools grant has fallen from £50.0 million in 2015-16 to £28.1 million in 2019-20 while the hourly rate has remained 53p.

Nadhim Zahawi: We introduced the early years pupil premium (EYPP) in April 2015 in order to support better outcomes for disadvantaged 3 and 4-year-old children. The EYPP is demand led and local authorities are funded for the EYPP on the basis of the number of children benefiting and by the number of entitlement hours they take, according to annual census data. The EYPP is therefore funded on the same basis as the early year’s childcare entitlements. Census data was not available when the EYPP was introduced. Funding for 2015 to 2016 was on the basis of data held by the Department of Work and Pensions and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.

Ministry of Justice

Prisons: Fire Prevention

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish the dates on which each prison establishment last undertook full night-time fire contingencies exercises.

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what reports he has received from senior fire officers on the adequacy of testing of night-time fire contingencies at prisons as a result of their visits to those institutions.

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether prison governors have requested additional staffing as a result of  testing of night-time fire contingency processes at their prison.

Rory Stewart: The dates on which public sector prisons in England and Wales last undertook night-time fire contingency exercises; whether a formal report from Fire and Rescue Services was provided; and whether additional staff were requested as a result of such exercises, is provided in the attached table. Arrangements are being made to ensure that prisons listed as not yet completing for the period to undertake a fire contingency exercise.Prison Fire Safety leads engage regularly with Fire and Rescue Services to ensure contingency plans are fit for purpose, and any issues or concerns are highlighted as part of this ongoing engagement. Additionally, Fire and Rescue Service Senior Fire Officers are required to highlight significant problems or concerns to the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) Operations Committee. The NFCC have confirmed that no reports on the outcomes of night-time fire contingency testing have been received.Privately Managed Prisons (PMPs) are also obliged to follow Prison Service Instruction 11/2015, Fire Safety in Prison Establishments. This requires Directors of PMP’s to regularly test the fire contingency plans for both day and night state; contingency plans for fire must be tested at least annually.Operators of PMPs hold data for their own contract sites. Each PMP has a full-time on-site Controller employed by HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). The Controller has regular review meetings with the contractor against a range of performance indicators. Any concerns in relation to these performance indicators or any other concerns relating to the delivery of the contract are discussed at these meetings. Where action is needed, progress is monitored by the Controller and escalated within HMPPS. Where appropriate action can be taken in accordance with the contract. This may include a requirement for urgent improvement and/or financial deductions.

Infectious Diseases: Crime

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans the Government has to ensure that people reporting crimes involving the deliberate infection of (a) HIV and (b) other diseases can access specialised support services whilst investigations are undertaken and completed.

Edward Argar: All victims of crime are entitled to receive appropriate support to help them, as far as possible, cope and recover. Under the Code of Practice for Victims of Crime (Victims’ Code), the police must conduct a needs assessment of a victim and refer them to victim support services, unless the victim chooses not to be. This may include referral to services which specialise in supporting people diagnosed with HIV and sexual transmission of infections. In the Victims Strategy, published in September last year, we committed to consulting on a revised Victims’ Code to ensure that the entitlements better reflect victims’ needs.

Sexual Offences: Sentencing

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many convicted sex offenders who did not receive a custodial sentence for their first sex offence were subsequently convicted of further sexual offences in each of the last five years.

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people on the sex offenders register have been subsequently convicted of further sexual offences by category of offence in each of the last five years.

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many convicted sex offenders were found guilty of further sexual offences in each of the last five years.

Lucy Frazer: Table 1: Number of offenders1 convicted of a sexual offence who already have at least one previous conviction for a sexual offence and did not receive an immediate custodial sentence for their first sexual offence conviction, England and Wales2, annually from year ending June 2014.Year Ending JuneNumber of offenders 20143652015394201646520174132018389Source: Ministry of Justice extract of the Police National ComputerNotes:1) Each individual offender is counted only once for each year but may be counted in multiple years.2) England and Wales includes all 43 police force areas plus the British Transport Police. Table 2: Number of offenders1 convicted of a sexual offence who already have at least one previous conviction for a sexual offence, England and Wales2, annually from year ending June 2014.Year ending JuneNumber of offenders20147092015769201685220178112018801Source: Ministry of Justice extract of the Police National ComputerNotes:1) Each individual offender is counted only once for each year but may be counted in multiple years.2) England and Wales includes all 43 police force areas plus the British Transport Police. The Home Office are responsible for management of the sex offender register, the Ministry of Justice does not hold details of offenders on the sex offender register and so can not identify details of any further convictions of these offenders.

Prisons: Drugs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on drug consumption rates in prisons of inmates having access to phones.

Rory Stewart: The misuse of drugs in prison drives violence, vulnerability and crime and so tackling this is one of our top priorities. We do not have statistics to demonstrate a causal link between illicit phones and drug misuse but we know that illicit mobile phones can be used for a variety of harmful purposes by criminals in prison, including to organise the supply of drugs. The use of mobile phones in prisons is an important cog in the infrastructure that supports and fuels crime and violence. Consequently, we are improving our security to restrict the availability of both drugs and mobile phones. We use body, property, cell and area searches, metal-detecting scanners and drug and phone detection dogs across the estate. We have recently invested an additional £7 million in modern technology, including extending the use of phone blocking technology and improved searching techniques. We are also investing £6 million to tackle drug supply and reduce demand in 10 of the most challenging prisons, with body scanners and more staff focused on effective searching.To reduce the demand for illicit mobile phones, we are also expanding the roll-out of in-cell telephones. Currently, 20 public sector prisons have in-cell phones. We are now investing a further £10 million to roll-out in-cell phones to a further 30 prisons by March 2020. Calls can only be made to pre-agreed numbers and can be monitored, with governors able to remove phones from those who misuse them. We know that maintaining prisoners’ family ties is hugely important too, with prisoners who receive contact from their family while in prison 39% less likely to reoffend. This will enable prisoners to maintain relationships with their family and access talking support services, in a managed and secure way, while we continue to take action to restrict the supply of illicit phones.

Offences Against Children: Sports

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the Government has plans to bring forward legislative proposals to extend the provisions of Section 21 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 to include Council funded sports coaches within the occupations classified as a position of trust.

Lucy Frazer: Holding answer received on 15 January 2019



Any sexual activity with a child under 16 is a criminal offence, regardless of whether consent is given. Any non-consensual sexual activity is also a crime, whatever the age of the victim and whatever the relationship between the victim and perpetrator. Where a manipulative offender grooms a child prior to them reaching the age of consent and then engages in a sexual relationship with them when they are over 16, this could be prosecuted under offences such as Section 15a of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. We remain absolutely committed to protecting children and young people from sexual abuse and we already have a wide range of criminal offences under which to prosecute and sentence those who carry out such acts. We continue to keep this under review.

Prison Sentences: Reoffenders

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the re-offending rate in relation to prison sentences of (a) less than six months and (b) more than six months.

Rory Stewart: Adult proven reoffending data, broken down by a custodial sentence length of six months or less and a custodial sentence length of more than six months (including indeterminate sentenced prisoners), can be viewed in the table.



Table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 15.3 KB)

Prisoners Release: Homelessness

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of prisoners serving sentences of less than six months who are homeless upon release in each of the last 10 years.

Rory Stewart: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. It is vital that everyone leaving prison has somewhere stable and secure to live. Having somewhere stable to live acts as a platform for ex-offenders to be able to access the services and support needed to turn their back on crime for good. Published statistics for 2017/18 showing the accommodation status for all offenders released from custody and offenders on community sentences can be viewed here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/729062/accommodation-cirumstances-tables-2018.xlsx As part of the Government initiative to reduce and ultimately eliminate rough sleeping across England, we will invest £6.4 million over two years in a pilot scheme to help ex-offenders into accommodation from three prisons, namely Bristol, Pentonville and Leeds. The pilots will focus on male prisoners who have served shorter sentences, who have been identified as having a risk of homelessness. Furthermore, as of the 1 October 2018, Prisons and Probation providers have a “Duty to Refer” anyone who is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless to the Local Authority. Following a referral, Local Authorities are then required to make an assessment, meaning offenders can receive meaningful housing assistance at an earlier stage irrespective of their priority need.

Treasury

Taxation: Electronic Government

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Making Tax Digital scheme will increase the frequency with which small businesses are required to submit corporation tax returns.

Mel Stride: From April 2019, only businesses with a turnover above the VAT threshold (currently set at £85,000) will be mandated to use MTD system and then only to meet VAT obligations. Businesses with turnover below the VAT threshold will not be required to use the system but can choose to do so. Government will not widen the scope of MTD to other taxes before the system has been shown to work. Government will formally consult before any decision to proceed with MTD for Corporation Tax.

Taxation: USA

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2018 to Question 200664, what assessment he has made of the potential administrative and financial burdens placed on accidental Americans resident in the UK by the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.

Mel Stride: In 2013 the UK introduced regulations to support the exchange of information, in line with a UK-US intergovernmental agreement regarding the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). Before introducing these regulations, the government carried out an impact assessment in line with the usual tax policy making process. As set out in the answer to Question 200664, the government continues to engage with the US Treasury and Internal Revenue Service regarding the impact and implementation of FATCA.

Economic Situation: Isle of Man

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the contribution of the Isle of Man to the UK economy.

John Glen: The Isle of Man contributes significantly to the UK economy. Office for National Statistics data show that in 2016 the UK exported £1.4 billion worth of services to the Isle of Man, and imported £0.4 billion. The constitutional relationship between the UK and the Isle of Man is historic and highly valued, and there is a constructive working relationship between the UK and Isle of Man Governments.

Treasury: Brexit

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much money from the public purse has been (a) spent and (b) allocated for preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a deal to date; how much of that funding has been made by way of ministerial direction; and for what functions that funding has been allocated.

Elizabeth Truss: HM Treasury has allocated over £4.2 billion of additional funding to departments and the Devolved Administrations for EU exit preparations so far. This breaks down as:£412m of additional funding over the spending review period for the Department for Exiting the European Union, Department for International Trade and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office at Autumn Statement 2016.£286m of additional funding for 17/18 (a full breakdown of which can be found in Supplementary Estimates 17/18: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/679738/PU2137_Supplementary_estimates_web.pdf.)Over £1.5bn of additional funding for 18/19. A full breakdown of the allocations can be found in the Chief Secretary’s Written Ministerial Statement, HCWS540, laid on the 13th March (https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2018-03-13/HCWS540/)Over £2bn of additional funding for 19/20. A full breakdown of the allocations can be found in the Chief Secretary’s Written Ministerial Statement, HCWS1205, laid on the 18th December (https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2018-12-18/HCWS1205/)This funding is in addition to departments efforts to reprioritise from business as usual toward preparations for the UK’s departure from the EU. As such, departments are best placed to provide an estimate of spend to date. HM Treasury requires departments to achieve value for money as part of receiving these additional funds, in line with the guidance set out in Managing Public Money. Two ministerial directions were made in relation to EU Exit in 2018 – by Defra and DfT. This is publicly available here researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8412/CBP-8412.pdf. The Treasury does not centrally hold records for each direction, further information should be requested from the relevant departments.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Housing Infrastructure Fund: Nottinghamshire

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much funding had been allocated to Nottinghamshire from the Housing Infrastructure Fund.

Kit Malthouse: The South of Clifton Housing Infrastructure Scheme in Rushcliffe, for which the local authority requested £10 million of Marginal Viability Funding, has completed funding clarification. My Department will be notifying the local authority of the outcome very shortly. Nottinghamshire is also one of the 45 areas across England with whom we are working to co-develop Forward Funding projects with up to £4.6 billion of funding available to unlock a potential 450,000 homes in areas where housing need is greatest. For Forward Funding schemes in co-development, there is no guarantee of funding. It is still a competitive process, and following co-development, these areas will be required to submit business cases prior to final funding decisions being made.

Planning Permission: Judicial Review

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many planning decisions made by (a) himself and (b) the planning inspectorate have been subject to judicial review proceedings in each of the last five years; and if he will list (a) those cases and (b) their outcomes.

Kit Malthouse: In the past 5 years there have been 60 planning decisions made by the Secretary of State, which have been subject to judicial review proceedings. Over the same period, the Planning Inspectorate have had 42.

Local Plans

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many  local plans have been (a) submitted, (b) examined and (c) found to be legally compliant and sound in each of the last five years.

Kit Malthouse: Examination (b) spans the time from submission of the plan to issue of the Inspector’s report. As this may take more than 12 months, it is not possible to give that information in the form requested.Information on (a) and (c) is as follows:YearLocal Plans submitted for examination (a)Local Plan Inspector’s reports issued (c)2018482620173523 12016252320151526 2201441332 In addition one report was issued in 2015 finding a plan unsound.1 In addition one report was issued in 2017 finding a plan unsound.

Local Plans

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many days on average (a) it took for planning inspectors to examine a local plan and (b) there were between a local plan being submitted to a planning inspector and the inspector making a determination on that plan in each of the last five years for which information is available.

Kit Malthouse: The examination stage covers the period from the date of plan submission to the Planning Inspectorate, to the issue of the Inspector’s final report.YearAverage number of days between submission and issue of Inspector's final report (all post - 2004 Local Plans)20186002017595201659020155022014449

Garden Communities

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to undertake a value for money assessment of funding allocated to local authorities for garden settlement projects; and if he will make a statement.

Kit Malthouse: We have provided or committed £22 million of capacity funding to fund dedicated staff teams and key studies and assessments to underpin delivery of our garden towns and villages. Local authorities are expected to spend capacity funding allocated through the Garden Communities programme on activities for which the funding was awarded. Homes England undertakes day-to-day monitoring of projects on MHCLG’s behalf, and decisions on ongoing funding take account of scheme performance in relation to previous capacity funding awards.

Housing: Construction

Mark Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that legacy payments from the New Homes Bonus accumulated over the last four year will continue to be paid to eligible authorities.

Mark Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made on the amount of New Homes Bonus that will be paid to local authorities over the next four years.

Kit Malthouse: In December 2018, Government announced the 2019-20 New Homes Bonus allocations due to be paid over next 4 years. Consideration about the overall quantum of funding available to the local government sector will be a matter for the next spending review but Government remains fully committed to incentivising housing growth and will consult widely with local authorities on how best to reward delivery most effectively.

Social Rented Housing: Housing Benefit

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of the spare room subsidy on trends in the level of empty properties.

Kit Malthouse: Statistics on vacant dwellings in England and in each local authority district are published in the Department's live table 615, which is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants. This table shows the annual total numbers of empty homes and those vacant longer than six months and also vacants in the local authority, housing association and other public sector tenures The number of long-term vacant dwellings across England remains lower than when records began.

Football: Sportsgrounds

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of football stadiums in the UK nominated for designation as assets of community value under the Localism Act 2011 that have been judged by a local authority not to meet the test for being such an asset.

Rishi Sunak: The Department does not collect information or provide estimates on the number of assets of community value unsuccessful nominated.Decisions on whether a nomination satisfies the statutory test set out in the Localism Act 2011 are for local authorities to determine. In February 2017 an asset count undertaken by Locality on behalf of the department identified 4,307 assets of community value in England. Information published by Supports Direct has identified 30 football stadiums as Assets of Community Value in England.

Ministry of Defence

Nuclear Reactors: Regulation

Emma Dent Coad: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what dates safety cases for the operation of the PWR2 Steam Raising Plant were submitted by his Department for regulatory approval.

Stuart Andrew: The PWR2 Naval Reactor Safety Case is a live document which is maintained through-life to justify and ensure continued safe operation of the reactors in our submarines. It is a requirement that a major stand alone review of each Safety Case is undertaken at approximately ten-year intervals. The last periodic full review was completed in 2014.

Trident Submarines: Nuclear Reactors

Emma Dent Coad: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what contingency plans he has put in place to monitor the integrity of the fuel elements in Vanguard submarine reactors.

Emma Dent Coad: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what contingency plans he has put in place for fuel element breaches in a Vanguard submarine reactor.

Stuart Andrew: The safety of the United Kingdom's submarine force remains our highest priority. We continue to work closely with the independent regulators to ensure the safety of operations both alongside and at sea. I am withholding further details as their disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces.

HMS Vengeance: Damage

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the news article entitled Nuclear patrol submarine returning to base with unusual amount of damage, published by The Telegraph on 6 January, what assessment he has made of the (a) amount and (b) cause of the damage to sonar panels; what assessment he has made of the capability of the nuclear deterrent submarines to continue safely; and if he will make a statement.

Stuart Andrew: The Ministry of Defence does not routinely comment on the operations or material state of Royal Navy submarines. In this case, however, I can confirm that recent reports of an 'unusual amount of damage' were inaccurate. We continue to have full confidence in the safe and secure operation of our submarines.

Ministry of Defence: Brexit

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much money his Department has allocated for preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a deal to date; how much of that funding has been made by way of ministerial direction; and for what functions that funding has been allocated.

Mark Lancaster: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has already allocated over £4.2 billion of additional funding to Departments and the devolved administrations for EU exit preparations so far. This includes the £1.5 billion of additional funding announced at Autumn Budget 2017 for 2018-19, and an additional allocation of £2 billion announced at Autumn Budget 2018 for 2019-20.The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has been allocated £12.7 million in 2018-19, and £12 million in 2019-20 for essential EU exit preparations for both deal and no deal scenarios. This will fund the administrative, legal and infrastructure requirements for Defence of leaving the EU, including for our bases and people in Europe. There has been no ministerial direction on this subject in the MOD.

Department for Work and Pensions

Personal Independence Payment: Hearing Impairment

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how hearing is tested in assessments for personal independence payment.

Sarah Newton: There is no hearing examination within the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment and the PIP Assessment Guide reflects this.However, someone with a hearing impairment may still need to attend an assessment and they may have other health conditions. An interpreter in British Sign Language can be arranged for the assessment if a claimant contacts the Assessment Provider to request one when the appointment letter arrives. The assessment is a functional assessment and not a diagnostic assessment so Assessment Providers do not determine if someone is deaf. It would be up to the claimant to state if they are deaf (if they chose to) and provide any supporting evidence or request an interpreter (again if they chose to).

Department for Work and Pensions: Disadvantaged

John Lamont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the level of social exclusion is in rural areas; and what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of her Department’s policies on social exclusion in rural areas.

John Lamont: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment her Department has made of (a) how widespread social exclusion is in rural areas and (b) the effect of her Department’s policies on social exclusion in rural areas.

Justin Tomlinson: Through the evidence gathered in the 2017-18 Community Life Survey in England, indicators linked to social exclusion do not show a significant difference between urban and rural areas. Adults living in rural areas are less likely to say that they feel they often/always feel lonely than people living in urban areas (3% compared with 6%). In addition, adults living in rural areas are more likely to say they feel they belong to their immediate neighbourhood (68%) than those living in urban areas (61%). The cross-government team on tackling loneliness are working with colleagues in the Devolved Administrations to ensure our work is complementary and to share insights and learn from one another. In its response to a House of Lords’ report on the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act in May 2018, the government reiterated its commitment to rural proofing all policies from the earliest stages so that they take account of the needs and circumstances of rural areas. Defra supports this through the provision of guidance and statistical information.DWP undertakes analytical research through a range of trials and proof of concept, which considers claimants in rural and urban settings. To ensure DWP services are relevant to the needs of the individual and locality, JCP staff monitor local developments, with a focus on overcoming barriers to gain employment. Where there is a perceived gap, the Flexible Support Fund can be used to provide additional financial support. In delivering a personalised service, claimant needs are taken into account when arranging any attendance. Work coaches personalise the support they provide for each claimant based on individual need and circumstance, including the offer of home visits or postal signing where appropriate.

Employment: Offenders

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of policies to help former prisoners find employment.

Justin Tomlinson: This Government recognises that supporting ex-offenders into work is a crucial part of effective rehabilitation. That is why Ministry of Justice launched the Education and Employment strategy to create a system where each prisoner is set on a path to employment as soon as they enter prison. It is also why the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has dedicated Prison Work Coaches based in resettlement prisons across Great Britain, who work with prisoners, prison services, local partners and employers to help secure training, work experience and employment opportunities for prisoners at the start of their sentence, during their sentence and after release. Ex-offenders are also entitled to tailored support from Jobcentre Work Coaches and early, priority access to the Work and Health Programme, to ensure they receive more intensive employment support. DWP does not currently collate data to identify an ex-offender in a way that allows robust reporting. We are therefore committed to gathering better data to support claimants with complex needs and has prioritised this as part of the wider work programme for Universal Credit.

Universal Credit: EEA Nationals

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance her Department has given to Jobcentre staff on EEA Nationals’ entitlement to universal credit.

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance her Department has issued to Jobcentre staff on when it is appropriate to ask that an EEA national sit a habitual residency test when applying for universal credit.

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of EEA national applicants have been refused universal credit in each year for which information is available.

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of EEA National universal credit applicants have been asked to sit a habitual residency test in each year for which information is available.

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether any other Givernment Departments are informed when EEA nationals are unable to pass the Habitual Residency Test to facilitate (a) changes in immigration status and (b) other consequences.

Alok Sharma: Comprehensive guidance outlining eligibility for Universal Credit for EEA Nationals and the habitual residency test is available to all staff across the Jobcentre network. Universal Credit guidance is published in the House of Commons Library and the Department is committed to refreshing this at regular intervals. Eligibility for income-related (means-tested) social security benefits depends on a person’s immigration status in the UK. Claimants must be exercising a legal right to reside and be habitually resident before they are eligible to claim income related benefit. And this is assessed through the Habitual Residence Test (HRT). DWP does not automatically provide other Government departments with information regarding an individual’s benefit claim. The Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2016 and immigration decisions are the responsibility of the Home Office. The information requested about the proportion of EEA applicants refused Universal Credit, or asked to sit a habitual residency test is not readily available, and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Social Security Benefits

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many cases her Department has passed to the Jointly Managed Engagement Team for HMRC to clarify earnings with employers where there has been a dispute reported through RTI in each month since 2016.

Alok Sharma: The Department for Work and Pensions has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Social Security Benefits

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people requested a mandatory reconsideration for (a) universal credit and (b) PIP in 2018; and how many of those mandatory reconsiderations resulted in changed outcomes.

Sarah Newton: DWP collect data about Mandatory Reconsiderations for Universal Credit, and have published some of this specifically in relation to sanctions in Universal Credit Live Service, available on Stat-Xplore here:https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/. Guidance on how to extract the information required can be found at:https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html However, to carry out the necessary quality assurance in order to publish information across all decisions subject to a mandatory reconsideration on Universal Credit Live Service and Full Service would incur disproportionate cost.Statistics on the number of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Mandatory Reconsiderations registered and clearances by type are published in Tables 7a and 7b of the quarterly statistical publication “Personal Independence Payment: April 2013 to October 2018”, available here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-independence-payment-april-2013-to-october-2018

Child Tax Credit: Scotland

Marion Fellows: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many families (a) will and (b) will not be exempt from the two-child tax credit cap in (i) Motherwell and Wishaw, (ii) North Lanarkshire and (iii) Scotland.

Alok Sharma: Providing support for a maximum of two children in tax credits and Universal Credit encourages families who receive benefits to make the same financial choices as those supporting themselves solely through work. We recognise that some claimants are not able to make the same choices about the number of children in their family and have put exceptions in place in these circumstances. In the year from 6 April 2017 to 2 April 2018, there were 200 exceptions granted across Scotland in Universal Credit (10 households) and Child Tax Credit (190 households). Further breakdowns by geographic area are not available. This information can be found in the statistical release ‘Child Tax Credit and Universal Credit claimants: statistics related to the policy to provide support for a maximum of 2 children, April 2018’ at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-tax-credit-and-universal-credit-claimants-statistics-related-to-the-policy-to-provide-support-for-a-maximum-of-2-children-april-2018. The information requested about the number of families who will not be exempt is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Children: Maintenance

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer of 9 January 2019 to Question 205829, Children; Maintenance, how many non-compliant parents were disqualified from holding or obtaining a UK passport in (a) 2016, (b) 2017 and (c) 2018.

Justin Tomlinson: The Child Maintenance Service Compliance and Arrears strategy, which gave us enforcement powers enabling disqualification of non-compliant parents from holding or obtaining a UK passport, came into effect from 14th December 2018. Therefore there were no non-compliant parents disqualified during a) 2016, (b) 2017 and (c) 2018.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Bovine Tuberculosis: Vaccination

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many badgers were vaccinated for TB in the last year for which information is available.

George Eustice: Provisional figures for 2017 show 327 badgers were vaccinated under licence from Natural England. The number of BCG doses made available for badger vaccination was limited in 2017 due to a global shortage and the need to prioritise supplies for human vaccination. Global BCG vaccine supply is now improving and although complete figures for the number of badgers vaccinated in 2018 are not yet available, provisional data returned to date indicate that the number will be higher than in 2017.

Public Footpaths

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to (a) make footpaths more accessible to people with restricted mobility and (b) create new footpaths to connect places and communities.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Public rights of way are a local matter and are handled by individual local highway authorities. Local authorities are required to keep a Rights of Way Improvement Plan (ROWIP) to plan improvements to their network. The expectation is for local authorities, whenever possible, to look at the needs of all users, including where possible to provide specific improvements for a range of users with limited mobility including wheelchair users and those with young children in pushchairs.

Air Pollution: Ammonia

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Department’s report entitled, Air quality: explaining air pollution – at a glance, published on 22 May 2018, for what reason emissions of ammonia have increased since 2013.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Agriculture is the dominant source of ammonia emissions, with the sector accounting for around 88% of total UK emissions in 2016. The main emission sources are livestock manures and slurries and mineral fertilisers. Emissions of ammonia increased by 10% between 2013 and 2016 (the most recent year for which data are available). The increase was largely due to increased use of urea-based fertilisers, which typically produce more ammonia than alternative fertilisers. As a result, emissions from inorganic fertilisers increased by 41% during this period. Smaller increases in emissions were attributed to a range of factors including increased numbers of poultry and cattle

Packaging: Waste Disposal

Anna McMorrin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the cost to local authorities of the collection and disposal of packaging waste.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: In support of our forthcoming consultation on reforming the packaging producer responsibility system, we have prepared an early-stage impact assessment. This impact assessment assesses the costs to local authorities of collection and treatment of packaging waste. It will be published shortly, alongside the consultation. However, the National Audit Office published a report in 2018 stating that English local authorities spent an estimated £700 million in 2017 on collecting and treating packaging waste.

Packaging: Recycling

Anna McMorrin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to publish its consultation on introducing consistent recyclable packaging material funded by Extended Producer Responsibility.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Shortly.

Beverage Containers: Recycling

Steve Double: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2019 to Question 206400 on Beverage Containers: Recycling, if he will (a) set a target for recycling over 90 percent of drinks containers of all shapes as suggested in the Scottish consultation and (b) make an assessment of the need for a deposit return system that includes containers of all shapes, sizes and materials to achieve such a target.

Steve Double: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2019 to Question 206400 on Beverage Containers: Recycling, what assessment he has made of (a) the effectiveness of deposit return systems in operation in other countries; and (b) the merits of the Norwegian environmental tax on recyclable plastic bottles.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The consultation regarding the introduction of a deposit return scheme (DRS) will be published shortly, and will look at how a scheme might sit alongside other measures to boost recycling. The specific model, scope and scale of any scheme, have not yet been determined, and we are currently developing proposals on these to be consulted on. We are drawing upon experience of how DRS systems operate in a range of countries to help shape our proposals for a scheme in England. As the Minister responsible for this policy area, I visited Norway, Sweden and Denmark at the end of 2017, to find out more about the DRS in those countries.

Home Office

Offences against Children: Social Media

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether provisions will be included in the Online Harms White Paper to require social media platforms to invest in preventative measures to tackle online grooming.

Victoria Atkins: We will set out plans for tackling online harms, including Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, in the forthcoming Online Harms White Paper. The White Paper will set out clear responsibilities for tech companies to keep UK citizens safe.In addition, the Home Secretary has been clear with industry that they should be proactive in combatting child sexual exploitation online, including grooming. As part of this commitment he co-hosted a Hackathon in November in the USA, where he met leading industry stakeholders to identify robust ways to tackle and prevent child sexual abuse on the internet.A prototype tool was developed at the Hackathon that can be used to automatically flag potential conversations taking place between child groomers and children, which will be licensed free of charge to smaller and medium-sized technology companies worldwide.

Home Office: Brexit

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many non-disclosure agreements his Department has signed with (a) companies and (b) trade associations advising the Government on preparations for contingency planning for the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Victoria Atkins: The Home Office do not track NDAs. Any non-disclosure elements in commercial agreements or procurements form part of the overall agreement or process and are not NDAs in their own right.The Commercial Directorate have not issued specific EU Exit-related policy to include NDAs within contracts. This means that depending on the type of engagement with suppliers, NDAs will have been issued as relevant, as part of the process but there has been no policy of issuing NDAs just because the work was EU Exit related.

Asylum: Human Trafficking

Angela Crawley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average length of time is for his Department to establish that an applicant for asylum has been a victim of trafficking.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office is committed to ensuring that victims of trafficking are identified effectively.Potential victims are provided with a minimum of 45 days recovery and reflection following identification during which time they have access to support and accommodation depending on their individual requirements. In order to make a decision on their trafficking case, information is requested from a variety of sources. When sufficient information has been gathered it is carefully considered and a Conclusive Grounds decision made.The support provided to a Potential Victim continues until the Conclusive Grounds decision on victim status is made. The decision of whether an individual has been trafficked is considered separately to an application for asylum.

Undocumented Migrants: English Channel

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his Department has plans to increase the number of patrols of the English Channel to deter crossings by asylum-seekers and migrants in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Caroline Nokes: Every Government department has been working at pace to build a detailed understanding of how withdrawing from the EU will affect its existing policies and services and is planning for a wide range of outcomes; this includes all aspects of possible changes at the border.Border Force constantly review their maritime capabilities and will continue to work with both domestic and international agencies to respond to this issue, should it arise.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether EU citizens will be eligible to apply for the increased post-study work period that is included in the Immigration White Paper.

Caroline Nokes: As set out in the Immigration White Paper, the future system will be a single global immigration system, where students of all nationalities will apply under the new student route.Under the new route all students studying at a Masters’ level, or at Bachelors’ level and an institution with degree awarding powers, will be eligible for the increased 6-month post study leave period. Doctoral students will be eligible for a 12-month post study leave period.

Ministry of Defence: Departmental Coordination

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times his Department has request assistance from the Ministry of Defence on immigration matters in (a) 2015, (b) 2016, (c) 2017, and (d) 2018.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office seeks assistance from the Ministry of Defence on a range of immigration matters including policy development, logistical support and on individual applications. The number of requests for assistance is not held centrally and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.

Undocumented Migrants: Calais

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to tackle illegal migration as a result of potential increased congestion at Calais in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.

Caroline Nokes: Every Government department has been working at pace to build a detailed understanding of how withdrawing from the EU will affect its existing policies and services and is planning for a wide range of outcomes; this includes all aspects of possible changes at the border.We make decisions on whether to permit EU traffic to enter the UK at the border through a number of checks using skilled people, technology and intelligence.Border Force will always ensure it has the necessary resources to keep the border secure and will respond flexibly to emerging requirements through ongoing assessments of operational needs.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the settled status scheme will apply in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Caroline Nokes: We will continue to run the EU Settlement Scheme in the event of a ‘no deal’ scenario, for EU citizens resident in the UK by 29 March 2019.As confirmed by the policy paper “Citizens’ Rights – EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU” published by the Department for Exiting the European Union on 6 December 2018, the basis for qualifying for status under the scheme will remain the same as proposed in a ‘deal’ scenario and will be focused on residence in the UK. This means that any EU citizen living in the UK by 29 March 2019 will be eligible to apply to the scheme, securing their status in UK law

Migrant Workers: EU Nationals

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what advice the Government is providing to employers on employing non-UK EU nationals in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Caroline Nokes: The statutory code of practice and guidance published on gov.uk https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/right-to-work-checks-employers-guide is clear that employers already need to carry out right to work checks on EU citizens, as they do with all prospective employees to prevent illegal working.Current arrangements, under which EU citizens can demonstrate their right to work in the UK by producing their national passport or identity card, will continue after the UK leaves the European Union until the future border and immigration system is introduced. The White Paper https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/766465/The-UKs-future-skills-based-immigration-system-print-ready.pdf on the future immigration system is clear that when we move to the future system, we will not require employers to undertake retrospective right to work checks on existing EU employees.Employers will not be required to distinguish between those who arrived before and after March 2019.

Schools: Voluntary Work

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Disclosure and Barring Service holds statistics on the number of volunteers in schools and how many of those volunteers are parents for each of the last 10 years.

Victoria Atkins: The information requested is not collected on a mandatory basis by the DBS as part of its checks, therefore it is not possible to reliably collate the data requested.

Proscribed Organisations: Fund Raising

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the ability of members of proscribed groups to raise funds via Paypal and Patreon.

Mr Ben Wallace: Terrorist financing activity in the UK is varied, but usually low-level. Terrorists and their supporters employ a variety of methods to raise and move terrorist funds, looking to any means at their disposal to do so.Those who wish to finance terrorist activity face significant including UK proscriptions, UK asset freezes and international sanctions. No one method to raise funds appears to be more prevalent than others, with the choice of method assessed to be dependent on personal knowledge or end destination of funds.

Pro-Force

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what grounds Pro-Force Limited was investigated by the then Gangmasters Licensing Authority in 2015; and what the outcome was of that investigation.

Victoria Atkins: The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) only discloses information about its investigations, or those of the former Gangmasters Licencing Authority (GLA), where these result in prosecution or another notifiable outcome.A list of compliance inspections carried out by the GLA is available on the GLAA website www.gla.gov.uk

Pro-Force

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority has ever taken action against Pro-Force Limited.

Victoria Atkins: The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority has not taken action against Pro-Force Ltd.

Undocumented Migrants: Boats

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 10 January to Question 206043 on Undocumented Migrants: Boats, for what reason his Department does not routinely publish that data; and if he will make it his policy to publish that data routinely.

Caroline Nokes: As set out in the Immigration White Paper, the future system will be a single global immigration system, where students of all nationalities will apply under the new student route.Under the new route all students studying at a Masters’ level, or at Bachelors’ level and an institution with degree awarding powers, will be eligible for the increased 6-month post study leave period. Doctoral students will be eligible for a 12-month post study leave period.

Scotland Office

Food Banks: Scotland

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he plans to visit a food bank in January 2019.

David Mundell: I currently have no plans to visit a food bank in my capacity as Secretary of State for Scotland in January 2019.

Broadband: Scotland

John Howell: What recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the roll-out of broadband in Scotland.

David Mundell: I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of matters including on digital connectivity in Scotland.

Universal Credit: Scotland

Hugh Gaffney: What assessment he has made of the effect on low-income families of the roll-out of universal credit in Scotland.

David Mundell: Evidence shows that Universal Credit is working. It empowers people to move into work and I am pleased that the budget announced a £4.5 billion cash boost for it, including measures that will allow millions of families to keep more of what they earn.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Cars: Export Duties

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal how much the tariff at World Trade Organisation rates would be on exporting a car made in the UK to the EU (a) valued at £15,000 and (b) valued at £25,000 at the point of export.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The EU and the UK are committed to an arrangement with no tariffs between the UK and the EU. However, in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal, goods traded between the UK and the EU will be subject to the same requirements as third country goods, including the payment of duty. For UK exports to the EU, the EU will require payment of customs duty at the rate under the EU’s Common Customs Tariff (CCT). Full details are available on the EU’s website (http://madb.europa.eu/madb/euTariffs.htm).The current third country duty on most types of motor vehicles is 10%, therefore the tariffs would likely be £1,500 for (a) and £2,500 for (b). However, more information is needed on the vehicles in question to provide an exact answer. Furthermore, the EU may change these rates between now and March 2019.

Brexit

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the political agreement reached with the EU on 26 November 2018 still holds.

Mr Robin Walker: The UK and EU have agreed a Withdrawal Agreement that will ensure our smooth and orderly departure on 29 March; and, tied to this agreement, a Political Declaration on an ambitious future partnership that is in our national interest. Both the documents are subject to agreement and ratification by Parliament.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Brexit

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what cost his Department has incurred to the public purse by providing public information on the potential effects of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Department is tasked with successfully delivering the UK’s exit from the European Union. A key element of this is providing the public with information on all possible scenarios, including leaving the EU without a deal.It is not however possible to attribute the Department’s costs to specific scenario planning such as no deal. This is because the Department does not record expenditure against potential outcomes; it records expenditure on a functional basis.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Brexit

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many non-disclosure agreements his Department has signed with (a) companies and (b) trade associations advising the Government on preparations for contingency planning for the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Chris Heaton-Harris: Government departments make use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) when structuring their engagements on preparations for leaving the EU, which is a crucial component of planning. It is for departments to determine the manner in which engagement with stakeholders takes place.Given the sensitive nature of some discussions, there may be limited circumstances in which departments have used NDAs to enable those conversations, thereby reaching more stakeholders than would otherwise be the case.The department has put a limited number of NDAs in place in the course of its work. The use of NDAs is limited to standard contractual arrangements with those providing services to support our work and are necessary to protect commercial considerations.According to central records, the department has seven current NDAs covering standard contractual arrangements with providers for activity including media monitoring, consultancy and research.

Conditions of Employment

Hugh Gaffney: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what recent discussions he has had with representatives from the Trades Union Congress on the effect of the Government's proposed Withdrawal Agreement on workers' rights in the UK.

Mr Robin Walker: Ministers and senior officials from across Government have carried out extensive engagement on EU exit - with businesses, industry bodies, and civil society organisations from all sectors of the economy and all regions of the UK. This includes recent and ongoing engagement with the Trades Union Congress. The Secretary of State for DExEU spoke to Frances O’Grady, the Director General of the Trades Union Congress, on 23 November and again on 11 January and plans to continue these discussions. The Prime Minister is also engaging with Trades Unions and spoke to a number of unions on 11 January.

Brexit

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether the Government plans to replicate in full EU directive 157 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU within UK legislation if the UK leaves the EU.

Kwasi Kwarteng: The EU (Withdrawal) Act will provide a functioning statute book on the day we leave the EU, so the laws and rules we have now will, so far as possible, continue to apply.This includes Article 157 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which captures the principle that there should be equal pay for equal work between male and female workers.It is right that this principle should continue to be fully available in our domestic law after exit.

Brexit: Northern Ireland

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, at how many (a) official level and (b) ministerial level meetings between the Government and the EU the Northern Ireland backstop has been discussed; and who has attended each meeting.

Mr Robin Walker: Negotiations between the UK and EU were ongoing throughout last year. These negotiations involved both officials and Ministers. They included discussions about setting out a legally operative backstop, as part of the Government’s commitment to avoiding a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, and as set out in the December 2017 Joint Report.The outcome of those discussions is reflected in the draft Withdrawal Agreement laid before Parliament on 26 November. This guarantees that in the event that the UK’s future relationship with the EU is not in place by the end of the implementation period, there will be no hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, while maintaining the economic and constitutional integrity of the UK.As the Government has made clear, however, this would be an insurance policy that neither the UK nor the EU expects to use. We fully expect to bring into force our future relationship or alternative arrangements, which would guarantee no hard border on a permanent basis, by the end of the Implementation Period that the Withdrawal Agreement provides.

Immigration Controls: Calais

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Exiting the EU to the Committee on Exiting the European Union of 9 January 2019, on what date the French Government announced its intention to establish a border inspection point in Calais.

Chris Heaton-Harris: We are aware that the French authorities are planning for the deployment of new border control posts which will be able to process products of animal origin at the ports of entry for the Channel. In addition, Gérald Darmanin, Minister of Public Action and Accounts, has announced the creation of a customs office in Calais which will help French authorities to improve their capacity to ensure fluidity and avoid unnecessary delays. However, as I stated in evidence to the Committee on Exiting the European Union, we will continue to monitor the situation in Calais and until any such border inspection post is operational, we will continue to develop our border plans to cover the full spectrum of scenarios.

Emigration: EU Countries

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, in which European Union member states do British citizens have to register their details with the Government upon moving to that country.

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what the financial costs are for a British citizen to acquire a permanent resident permit or the equivalent of such document in each European Union member state.

Mr Robin Walker: Each Member State implements the permanent residence requirements of the Free Movement Directive (2004/38/EC) differently and information is not held centrally on the fees charged for equivalent documents. For example, the Netherlands currently charge €51 for permanent residency, and this charge will remain the same for obtaining a status under the Withdrawal Agreement.Country-specific information, where available, is detailed in the ‘Living in Guides’ which you can find at:https://bit.ly/2PJAHjxThe Free Movement Directive sets out the registration requirements and the rules of charging for permanent residence that Member States must follow in their processes.Under this Directive, a Member State can require a person living there for more than three months to register within a time frame, which should be no less than three months from the date of their arrival. The Directive also states that a citizen’s possession of such registration documents cannot be a precondition for exercising their Treaty rights. It provides that all documents, including registration certificates and permanent residence documents, shall be issued free of charge or for a charge that is no more than that which nationals of the Member State pay for a similar documents.

Brexit

Matthew Pennycook: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, whether all international treaty and non-treaty arrangements in which the UK participates through membership of the EU will be replicated by 29 March 2019.

Chris Heaton-Harris: We are committed to maintaining the relationships and cooperation we currently enjoy with third countries and international organisations as we exit the EU. This is why we have agreed with the EU that they will notify treaty partners that the UK is treated as a Member State for the purposes of its international agreements with third countries during the Implementation Period. This provides a basis for continuity during this period.We are also working with third countries to put in place new arrangements that replicate the effects of existing agreements, as far as possible and where relevant, and which would come into force either on exit in the event of ‘no deal’ or at the end of the Implementation Period.

Department for International Trade

Trade Promotion

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will publish the visits undertaken by each Trade Envoy since October 2018.

Graham Stuart: TRADE ENVOY- MARKETS COVEREDDATEANDREW PERCY MP - Canada Canada4-11 November 2018ANDREW SELOUS MP - South Africa South Africa29-31 October 2018BARONESS MORRIS - Jordan, Kuwait, Palestinian Territories  Kuwait12-14 December 2018BARONESS NICHOLSON - Iraq, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan Iraq27-29 November 2018BARONESS NORTHOVER - Angola, Zambia Angola6-10 November 2018ED VAIZEY MP - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos29 September-3 October 2018SIR JEFFREY DONALDSON - Egypt Egypt1-5 December 2018LORD ASTOR - Oman Oman30 October-4 November 2018LORD JANVRIN - Turkey Turkey15-18 October 2018LORD POPAT - Uganda, Rwanda Uganda25 October-2 November 2018LORD RISBY - Algeria Algeria28-31 October 2018MARK PRISK MP - Brazil, Nordics, Baltics Denmark13 December 2018PAUL SCULLY MP - Thailand, Burma, Brunei Brunei5-9 November 2018PAULINE LATHAM MP - Kenya Kenya22-23 November 2018Total14 Visits

Overseas Trade: Asia

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support UK companies to export to Asia.

Graham Stuart: The Government, through our overseas network, HM Trade Commissioners, and through Ministerial and Trade Envoy visits, works actively to support trade and reduce barriers for UK companies looking to export to Asia by engaging with the region’s governments and business sectors. Recently we’ve secured market access for UK dairy products to China, worth £240m over five years, and beef and lamb to Japan, worth £127m over five years. We are also lobbying multilaterally, establishing a UK Mission to ASEAN in 2019, and are considering the possibility of the CPTPP as a priority FTA once we leave the EU.

Prime Minister

Immigration and Refugees

Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister,  whether she discussed refugees and migrants seeking to migrate to the UK during her recent meetings with European leaders.

Mrs Theresa May: My recent discussions with European Leaders have been primarily about matters relating to the United Kingdom leaving the EU, but also have covered other issues including with President Macron the matter of migration

House of Commons Commission

House of Commons Annunciator System: Mobile Phones

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, what plans he has to make the information displayed on the House of Commons Annunciator available to hon. Members and their staff via a smartphone app.

Tom Brake: The House of Commons Commission has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

House of Commons Annunciator System

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, when the display and software for the House of Commons Annunciator was last updated; and what plans the Commission has to modernise that software.

Tom Brake: The House of Commons Commission has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

House of Commons Annunciator System

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, what plans he has to improve information displayed on the House of Commons Annunciator system such as expected debate scheduling times.

Tom Brake: The House of Commons Commission has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office: Brexit

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much money his Department has allocated for preparations for the UK leaving the EU without a deal to date; how much of that funding has been made by way of ministerial direction; and for what functions that funding has been allocated.

John Penrose: EU Exit affects a number of work areas across the Department and will therefore encompass a proportion of workload for many staff, the amount of which will vary over time. Many of the same staff spend a proportion of their time preparing for leaving the EU (a) with and (b) without a deal. Those proportions vary continuously over time, so calculating a specific allocation would be disproportionately difficult.

Women and Equalities

Domestic Violence

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will allocate additional funds to charities supporting abused women to gain (a) employment and (b) training.

Victoria Atkins: The Government wants to make sure that all women have the freedom and opportunity to reach their full potential. This of course includes women from more marginalised or vulnerable groups such as those who have suffered from abuse.   The Minister for Women and Equalities recently announced £500k of funding to support people with multiple and potentially complex barriers to returning to work, including victims of domestic abuse. This funding will be available for charities and other types of organisations to provide support in the form of training or employment opportunities.  GEO is scoping how best to deliver this programme and will be working closely with delivery partners to publicise how organisations can apply for this funding in the near future.